Little Bit of Love
by Rosalie Duquesne
Summary: Calleigh and Eric deal with their new family life and the challenes that come with it. Sequel to My Life Would Suck Without You. Valera/OC. Lots of family drama and fluff.
1. Love is hard

_**A/N: Heyy guys!! I'm back XD This is the long awaited sequel of My Life Would Suck Without You. So if you haven't read that I suggest that you do, cuz you might get a bit confused :P **_

_**Hello to my previous very loyal readers!! It feels good to be back!! It took me a while to think of what exactly to base this story on…and I decided on two things:**_

_**-More drama with murder and kidnapping and such**_

_**-A fluffy family fic.**_

_**It's up to you guys to pick!! So make sure and tell me what you think!! Unfortunately school has started :S :( SO I might not update as often. But I promise that I will update as fast as I can!!**_

_**Anyways enough rambling, here's the first chp!! Enjoy! :)**_

_**Disclaimer: I thought I should start writing these…unfortunately no one offered me CSI Miami for my bday last Friday so I don't own it :( * dramatic sigh**_

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"Eric! Come on! We're going to be late!" Calleigh shouted from the bottom of the staircase bouncing a now fifteen month old Derek on her left hip. Calleigh had dressed him in brown cargo pants and a simple red shirt and brown sneakers. His hair was combed neatly, the way Calleigh liked it, but she knew that once she dropped them off he would mess his hair up, the way he liked it. He started to play with his mother's long blonde hair, reveling in how soft and bright it was. "Pity," he said, not pronouncing it right. Calleigh looked at her son, a small smile on her face.

She thought that her children were the cutest that she had ever seen, but then again, what mother didn't. However, with Eric and Calleigh's incredible good looks, their children would be nothing less than gorgeous. Although Derek had blonde hair, he had his father's large dark brown eyes and smile. Lizzie had a mixture of Eric and Calleigh's hair, but she had Calleigh piercing green eyes.

Calleigh sighed loudly and glanced at her watch once again. How long does it take to get a one-year-old ready for day care?

"Eri-"

"I'm right here," Eric said, cutting her off. He came down the stairs holding Lizzie in a purple dress and white shoes, her light brown hair out, the curls falling around her face. "Mama!" Lizzie squealed, hands in the air. Eric flashed her a smile clearly saying that he was sorry for taking so long. She rolled her eyes in response and turned to head for the door.

She grabbed her coat off the rack and the keys for their car. She stepped out onto their red brick path and made her way towards their new dark blue BMW. She and Eric had sold their cars for something that would make commuting between home, work and the day care easier for them and the twins.

She opened the car and placed Derek in his car seat and buckled him in. She put on her coat and watched as Eric talked to Lizzie and put her in her seat. She smiled at him and got into the driver's seat. She buckled her seat belt as Eric got into the passenger's side and did the same.

She turned to face her children in the backseat, "Everyone good?" Lizzie and Derek nodded their heads vigourously. Calleigh smiled at them and slowly pulled out of their driveway. The drive to the day care was filled with animated chatter from the twins. Not yet able to form complete sentences, they spoke unidentifiable words with a few that their parents could understand in between.

Calleigh and Eric had smiles plastered on their faces the whole way. They never got tired of hearing them talk. Even if they spoke of nothing at all. This morning, Lizzie seemed to be talking about their new puppy, Charlie. Eric understood everything she said until she started to stutter. She seemed to do that a bit, but only when she got excited. _Which is about almost everything, _Eric thought to himself smiling.

Calleigh chuckled at the lively speech of her little girl, wondering how she got so excited about everything. Lizzie was the complete opposite of Calleigh, she loved to wear dresses and skirts and playing with her mother's make-up, and to Calleigh's dismay, absolutely loved playing with her dolls. As a child Calleigh was not the kind of girl to own a doll, she doesn't even remember owning one, ever. She would have loved to have a little girl exactly like her, tomboyish tendencies, simple clothing, only wore small amounts of make-up. However, she wouldn't trade Lizzie for anything in the world, but it was going to be hard trying to empathize with a girly girl. For now, Calleigh was trying her hardest to understand her daughter and what she liked and disliked, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself.

The interesting child on the other hand was Derek. He was quite the loud and rambunctious child when he was with his parents, or with his grandparents, or even with his uncles Horatio and Ryan and aunts Alexx and Natalia, but when he was in public, with people he did not recognize he tended to close up. He becomes the turtle that curls up in his shell, away from the public.

He was not very fond of change, and did not enjoy being doted on by strangers, but he was slowly getting better. Calleigh and Eric noticed this earlier on. When they were about eleven months of age, Calleigh and Eric had to put them into day care, seeing that they had to go to work, and Clorinda could no longer keep up with them. She was getting older, and the kids were getting livelier, especially now that they could walk. The first time that they had dropped the twins off for day care, Derek refused to let go of Calleigh's leg.

Lizzie had already run off to play with the dolls in the corner with the other girls. Derek clung tightly to Calleigh's leg in desperation crying and screaming into her pant leg. Calleigh had attempted to calm him down. It took her twenty minutes, but Derek finally felt comfortable playing with the building blocks in the middle of the room by himself. Calleigh had left them happy and she and Eric made their way to the office.

At the end of the day, when they arrived to pick them up, Calleigh noticed that Derek was still in the same spot that she had left him in that morning. Alone, on the table in the middle of the room, playing with the building blocks. As if he felt her presence in the room, he immediately got up and ran over to his mother. At first Calleigh didn't take it seriously, but he seemed to be doing that everyday for about a week.

In the second week, the teacher had asked for Calleigh and Eric to come in to discuss the twins, and how they were progressing in terms of making friends. The teacher, Mrs. Chelcie DiNozzo, the kids called her miss Chelcie, invited Calleigh and Eric to come in on the Thursday when they would usually pick them up.

They now sat in her office awaiting her to come back from dealing with something that seemed important. Then the door opened, "So sorry about that. One of the kids seemed to have thrown up in the middle of the classroom and the rest of the kids were panicking," she chuckled softly and sat behind her desk, "You must be mister and missus Delko, I'm missus DiNozzo, but you can call me Chelcie." She extended her hand towards Calleigh.

Calleigh shook it. "I'm Calleigh, and this is Eric," she said as she shook both their hands. Chelcie nodded, "Okay, let's start with Lizzie. I have to say that she is one of my favourite students at the moment. She is so vivacious and bubbly; she is almost never in a bad mood. She is extremely intelligent as well. I have to say that she has quite a bright future."

Calleigh and Eric smiled at this. Eric took Calleigh's hand in his and squeezed it gently. "We are so happy to hear that. What about Derek?" Calleigh began to get nervous, she knew that Derek wasn't the most social person, but she hoped that he wasn't that bad. Chelcie cleared her throat, "Well Derek is an extremely smart child as well, very gifted in music. I did not expect that from such a quiet child. The moment we made them choose an instrument and he chose the piano, he has been getting better and better with every class. He is extraordinary." Eric smiled, Calleigh however knew that there was a 'but' coming in there pretty soon.

"But…" Calleigh winced realizing how right she was. "Derek isn't the most social boy in the class. I don't think he has made a single friend in this class. He prefers to sit by himself. I tried to engage him in some interaction with the other children, but he would either throw a tantrum or leave the group and return to what he was previously doing."

Calleigh took in a deep breath, "What does that mean?"

Chelcie shrugged, "I have a hunch, but I'm not too sure. I also noticed that he doesn't like to converse with anyone, in any form or fashion, and he often doesn't respond to me when I call for him. And if someone else frustrates him, he tends to run into a corner and rock back and forth. It seems to me that Derek might be autistic."

Calleigh bit her lip. She knew what the teacher was talking about. She knew how autism affects a child; she just didn't expect it to be _her_ child. She then felt Eric squeezing her hand more tightly. He seemed to be lost in thought. The look on his face was that of sheer terror. Calleigh took her other hand and rested it on his arm, running it up and down in an attempt to soothe him. He was too socked to speak.

Calleigh soon found her voice and asked in a shaky voice, "What should we do?" The teacher laced her own fingers and put them on the table in front of her. She let out a breath and spoke, "I think that you should take him to a doctor and see what he recommends. I have had autistic children in my class previously, so if that is the case, I would love to continue having him in my class."

Calleigh was grateful for that much, but she was yet to process the information given to her. She didn't know how to react, what to say, what to _do._ She felt scared, nervous, anxious, mad and confused most of all. She had no idea what to do next. All she knew was that he had to get out of that office, she _had _to see her children. She stood up quickly, "Thank you missus DiNozzo, I'll make sure and inform you once we get more details." Chelcie nodded, "Your welcome, and it's Chelcie." Calleigh smiled weakly, and led a still speechless Eric out of the room.

They entered the hall where she leant back against the wall, her head looking heavenward. She wiped at her eyes, trying to get rid of the evidence of her tears. Much to her dismay, they just poured out even more. She placed her face in her hands and began sobbing behind a curtain of blonde hair. She pulled her hair back with her right hand, holding it in place on top her head, her left hand covering her mouth,

Then she felt a pair of strong arms pulling her closer. She pushed him away saying, "We need to get the kids and go home. We'll talk about this later." He nodded at her and took her hand, threading their fingers as they walked down the hall and entered the classroom. As they entered Calleigh's leg was attacked by Derek. She picked him up and he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He raised her hand and stroked the back of his head. She bit her lip and fought back her tears once again, she refused to cry in front of her children.

She just hoped that she was strong enough to face what was about to transpire.

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_**So?? Did ya like it?? Or did I get worse on my sabbatical?? :P**_

_**Review plz!! :D And tell me which story line you want!! L8rz!!**_


	2. Love is resilient

_**Heyy guys…although I got little reviews, they are from my loyal readers so I be happy!! Lol :)**_

_**So, I have decided to make this the fluffy family fic, because I agree with Liphuggers: We NEED some fluff to keep the faith with hiphuggers!! Cuz these spoilers are not very nice!! As a matter of fact I HATE them!! But this is helping me deal! **_

_**For all the people who alerted and favourited the chp, please review!! The help me write faster, they inspire and they boost the ego of my muse, Harmony XD. So please review this chp!! I'm telling you that the more reviews I get, the faster I update, and the better the chps get!! :D So review puh-leez!!**_

_**Okay. Enough rambling. Lol Enjoy!!**_

_**Disclaimer: My sister has season 4 on dvd, but that really has no hiphugger action, so I really don't wanna own that…**_

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Eric shifted in his sleep, trying to find a more comfortable position. He turned on his side and stretched his arm out, expecting to pull the sleeping figure of his wife closer. His hand fell flat against the cold sheets. He opened his eyes to look at the red numbers on the alarm clock and frowned. It was half past two in the morning. _Where is she?_

He raised the covers and lifted himself out of bed. Clad in his boxers he opened the drawer to the armoire, took out a plain white shirt and pulled it over his head. He opened the door and walked down the hall in search of Calleigh. He entered the twins' bedroom, finding the two sleeping soundly, He smiled and closed the door making almost no noise whatsoever. He tiptoed back down the hall and down the stairs and looked left, into the living room. It was empty. He checked the kitchen. Empty. The dining room. Empty.

Where was she?

He then entered the toy room and noticed that the door leading to the backyard was slightly ajar. He walked towards the door, opening it more to let himself out. She shivered involuntarily at the sudden gust of cold air. Who would have thought that Miami would be so cold at night? He looked straight ahead and found the small frame of his wife, back towards him, on the swing set, looking to the moon.

He walked over and sat on the adjacent swing. He started to rock forward then backward, unable to think of something to say. He had no idea what to say, or do. These past couple of hours have been really hard on Calleigh. On the _both _of them. Neither knew what to say or do. Calleigh just sat there looking at the moon, expecting it to give her the answers that she so desperately desired to have.

Eric remained silent as well, swinging back and forth looking at the floor. _What should I say? Should I ask if she is okay? Of course she isn't okay! She just found out that her son might be autistic…__**our **__son. _Eric took in a deep breath and cleared his mind. Hoping that it might help in the current situation. A thought then popped into his head. He knew it was a long shot, but he had to give it a try. He had to get through to her some how.

He slowly got off the swing and moved in front of Calleigh. Her brows furrowed as her view changed to that of her husband, towering over her. He then stretched his hand out to her. She became even more confused, _What is he doing? _Letting out a breath that she wasn't aware she was holding, she rested her tiny hand in his larger one.

He gently pulled her up and stepped backwards, pulling her by their joined hands. After a few steps, they stood in their garden, the one that Eric had slaved over for hours on end, to make it look absolutely perfect. And it was. Completely and totally perfect. It was a small garden, a path that led to a small circle of grass, surrounded by flowers of all shapes and sizes. There were roses, tulips, daisies and many other tropical flowers that she could not remember behind a short white fence. It was beautiful.

They stood in the middle of the garden, in the moonlight. He held both of her hands in his, a longing look in his eyes. However, she was still so confused. _What in the world is he doing?_ He then pulled her body closer to his. They fit perfectly together, two simple puzzle pieces that completed the most beautiful and romantic picture.

He held her hands together in his, and raised them until they were behind his neck. He then brought his hands down, running them down her arms, her shoulders, and her sides until finally resting at her hips. He pulled her impossibly closer and hugged her into his body and began swaying from side to side. Then he started to hum. Calleigh smiled and tightened the grip that she held on him. She had one hand behind his neck, the other playing with his short-cropped hair.

The two remained there, in the middle of their garden, swaying from side to side to the music emanating from Eric's lips. Calleigh knew exactly what song he was humming. It was the lullaby that her grandmother used to sing to her. It never ceased to calm her down. Eric knew this all too well.

It really amazed her. _He _really amazed her. How well he seemed to know her; exactly what she wanted or needed, at the perfect time. She smiled once again and buried her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent. Eric soon stopped humming, but the two stood still, reveling in the moment. Neither of them wanted it to end, but they knew that it was inevitable. They had much to do, and they needed a good night's sleep.

The daycare teacher had taken the liberty of setting up an appointment with a renowned pediatrician, Dr. Smith. He was one of the best doctors in the area; she had only praises for him. Calleigh and Eric had gratefully taken the opportunity and thanked the teacher immensely. The appointment was at nine-thirty, so they had to wake up early seeing that the office was about a half an hour drive.

Calleigh pulled away first. She pulled her head back and raised her chin to look into her soul mate's eyes. Green eyes met those dark brown pools of love and desire. She smiled at him and pressed her lips to his chastely. She pulled away, hands playing with his non- existent hair. "Thank you," she whispered, "I needed that."

He nodded and pecked her lips, "Come on. We need to get some sleep, and by the looks of it, you haven't gotten any."

Calleigh shrugged and looked away, "Don't think I can." Eric lifted his hand from her hip and brought it to cup her cheek. He gently guided her face to his in yet another kiss. "Then I'll just hold you until you do," he whispered, breaking the kiss.

Calleigh nodded. Eric raised his hands and took hers in his once again. He brought them down from his shoulders and kissed them both. He let go of one, but held the other tightly, lacing their fingers together. They walked in silence back into the house. Locking the door, they made their way upstairs, hands still joined, and into the master bedroom.

The got into bed on their respective sides, Eric moving closer to her side. He wrapped his large arm around her waist and pulled her close to him once again. They lay there, face-to-face, Eric's arm on her hip, touching the small patch of bare skin between her top and pants. Calleigh's tiny arms between them, one of her hands tightly grasping Eric's other hand. They lay like that until they both fell asleep, when they shifted to a more comfortable position, his arm still on her hip, but her back to his front leaving no space between them.

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The next morning Calleigh awoke to alight tapping on her nose. She lifted her head and opened her eyes, squinting to adjust to the sunlight. She rubbed her right eye and saw the figure of her daughter through the other. She stood next to the bed, thumb in her mouth gazing at her mother with those adorable green eyes.

"Hey Lizzie, what's wrong sweet pea?" Lizzie said nothing. She simply removed her thumb from her mouth and raised her arms, expecting to be lifted into bed with her parents. Calleigh sighed and manoeuvred in Eric's arms and lifted her daughter into her arms. She pulled Lizzie closer to her body, wrapping her arms around her tiny frame. She then glanced up at the clock. They had to leave in fourty-five minutes if they were going to make Derek's appointment.

Calleigh slowly removed Eric's arm from her waist and replaced her body with that of Lizzie's. Eric, still asleep, mumbled something incoherently and pulled Lizzie's sleeping form closer. Calleigh smiled at the sight. She then put on her black robe and walked down the hall to get Derek. She entered the room and found him sitting on the floor playing with his toy truck, pushing it forward and back on the floor.

Calleigh sighed and smiled thinly at her son. She had to do everything in her power to help him. He was going to have a normal childhood, she and Eric would make sure of it. Noticing her form I the doorway, Derek got up and ran towards his mother where she welcomed him with opened arms. She hoisted him up and rested him ion her hip.

"Did you have a good sleep?" she asked him, hoping that she would get an answer. To her dismay he acted as if he hadn't heard the question and continued to play with her hair. She sighed once again and played with her son's blonde locks, pulling him into a hug.

All of a sudden he started to wriggle in her arms making grunting noises. Worried, she put him on the ground. He responded by running to the corner behind the head of his bed and sitting, pulling his knees to his chest. Calleigh froze. She had no idea what to do. She sucked in a breath and bit her lip. She walked over to his crouched form, slowly.

Derek began to scream. Calleigh jumped slightly and her widened. Her breaths became quicker and hollow. She tried to will her tears away but to no avail. A single tear escaped her eye. She wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to hold herself together. She stood there, holding herself and trembling slightly until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She rested her hand on his, squeezing gently.

Eric had walked in to find his wife visibly shaking and his son in a corner screaming. He felt his heart slowly breaking, hoping and praying that it would break no more. Concerned for her, he sent her to get Lizzie ready to go. She nodded her head in understanding and quietly left the room, still clutching herself. After she exited, he turned to face Derek and let out an audible breath.

Derek had stopped screaming, but remained in the corner, rocking back and forth. Unfortunately, he _needed _to get Derek ready, and this was definitely not the best time. He decided to try a more passive approach.

"Derek?" he said, feet rooted to the ground. No answer. Derek remained in the same position, whimpering. Eric took a step closer. Nothing. Another. Nothing. But as he took the third step Derek screamed once again. Eric froze and began to panic. What was he supposed to do? Eric felt a wave of emotions crash into him.

He was scared that he would fail his son. He was concerned about the doctor's diagnosis. He was anxious about even attempting to discern what Derek's future would be like. He was confused as to what the hell he was supposed to do. He was frustrated that he did not _know_ what to do. He felt like he was drowning in a tidal wave of his own emotions.

He stood there, in the same spot, until Derek seemed to have calmed down. "Derek?" he asked once again. Derek raised his head to look at his dad. He looked at him through watery eyes, "Papí, I want mamá." Eric nodded.

Deciding that shouting for Calleigh wasn't the best idea, he slowly backed out of the room and walked down the hall to their room. He entered to find Calleigh sitting up in bed, Lizzie sprawled across her lap playing with her doll, fully clothed and ready to go. Calleigh stared out the window, eyes transfixed on something seemingly invisible, while she absentmindedly played with Lizzie's curly, cinnamon-brown locks. Eric smiled thinly at the moment, then realized that they were crunched for time.

"Cal, babe. He wants you."

She continued to look out of the window, pretending that he hadn't said anything. He walked over to the bed until he was obscuring her view. Her eyes remained fixed. He bent down until they were face-to-face. He stared deeply into her dull green eyes and took her left cheek into his hand. She flinched just slightly, but he ignored it.

"You can do this."

She closed her eyes, and tears began to flow down her pale cheeks. He brushed her tears away with the pad of his thumb softly. She finally gave in and leaned into his touch. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, his lips lingering for a few seconds. The both ignored the tingling sensations tat remained where their skin met. It was amazing how much of an effect they still had on each other.

She opened her eyes and looked at the love of her life. She gazed into his brown eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but he beat her to it. "Do _not_ say that you can't do it. He _needs _you, Cal. I know how much it hurts, I do, it's just-" he took in a breath, "It's for Derek. Do it for him."

Calleigh nodded. She lifted Lizzie out of her lap and kissed her on the cheek. Lizzie giggled and continued to play with her doll. Calleigh got up and left the room. As she made her way down the hall her breaths became short and laboured. She paused at the doorway, second-guessing her actions. What if he didn't really want her? Would he be able to handle the situation if her screamed again?

She found herself slowly backing away from the door. The Eric's words resounded in her head: _You can do this. He needs you. _She froze, and took a deep breath after a couple of seconds. She entered the doorway to find Derek standing next to his bed, arms tangled in the small red hoodie he was trying to put on. At first she was surprised, but soon the corners of her lips began to move upward and she chuckled softly.

"Want some help, sweetie?"

She saw some kind of movement behind the shirt that resembled a nod. She smiled and walked over to him. "Keep your arms straight up." Derek's arms pointed upwards as she pulled the shirt down his tiny frame. He looked at her and smiled, "Gracias, mamí." She fixed his hair, "De nada, mijo."

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_**So?? Good?? Or absolutely disgustingly horrible?? Review plz!! :)**_

_**They r like chocolate to my muse :D Luv u guyz!! (in a completely normal way)**_


	3. Love is great

_**Heyy guyzzzz. :) This is chp 3…sry for taking so long to post it..but I have already started the 4**__**th**__** chp so the faster and the more you review the faster the next chp goes up!!**_

_**I would like at least 10 reviews plz :D**_

_**Disclaimer: If I owned this show Calleigh and Eric would have gotten together the same way (I loved how the writers did it), and Eric would NOT be leaving, Ryan and Natalia would be together, Speed would still be alive, but I also love Ryan so he would be there too, and Valera would have a lot more scenes cuz I think that she is one crazy bitch outside of work lol.**_

_**As none of those things have happened, I guess I don't own it…sigh**_

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Calleigh drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair anxiously. They had been sitting In the waiting room for the past fifteen minutes and the wait was literally driving her crazy. She sat next to Eric with Derek in her lap. He had once again become fascinated with her hair. It was in a low ponytail, the contents spilling over her left shoulder. He was running his little fingers through it, eyeing it with wide brown orbs.

Lizzie, on the other hand, was on the table in the middle of the room unsuccessfully building a 'Dora the Explorer' puzzle. She seemed to be frustrated, but refused to give up. Traits she received from both her parents: patience and persistence.

"Delko family?"

Calleigh's eyes shot across the room and landed upon a woman in pale pink scrubs, her hair up in a tight bun. She and Eric stood quickly, Calleigh carefully because of Derek, as the woman motioned for them to follow her. Eric retrieved Lizzie, who began to whimper at the loss of the puzzle, and walked behind Calleigh who was following the woman through the doors. They made their way down a white hall until the nurse stopped near the middle of the hall, opening a door. She let them in and gestured towards the couch.

"The doctor will be in shortly," she announced with a smile on her face, "Make yourselves comfortable."

The couch was fairly long. Eric sat at the end closest to the door Lizzie in his lap; Calleigh sat next to him, almost no space between them, Derek in her lap and began to take in her surroundings. It was a small and simple office: a couch, a desk and chair, a computer, a sink, and an examining table next to which was a silver tray with an array of medical instruments.

On the white washed walls hung many certificates and diplomas made out to Doctor Gregory Smith. Although she was impressed by the many frames, Calleigh could not help but wonder if eh was the right man for the job. The right man to treat _her _son.

She looked down at Derek in her lap who seemed to be in another world. Following his gaze, Calleigh found the object of his attention: a bright yellow stress ball on the doctor's desk. She could tell that he was itching to pick it up and play with it, but she knew that she had taught them manners well. _I hope, _she thought.

Eric pressed a reassuring kiss to her temple. She smiled in response and rested her forehead against his. He rested his cheek on the top of her head and felt Lizzie lean into his chest, thumb in her mouth once again. Looking over, he saw Derek playing with Calleigh's hair again. He also noticed that she had let it down sometime between when they were in the waiting room and when they had sat down in the office. Like his son, Eric loved his wife's blonde locks. He often found himself reveling in its soft texture, fingers threaded through the many strands.

The door creaked open, revealing an attractive, Caucasian man who could be no older than Calleigh or Eric. "Good morning, I'm Doctor Gregory Smith, but you can call me Greg," he said while shaking their hands. He then turned to Lizzie, "Well hello there. I'm Greg. What's your name?"

Lizzie looked at her mother with questioning eyes, Calleigh smiled at her and nodded. Lizzie turned back to face the doctor and said, "Ewizabeth Mawisol Dewko." Greg smiled at her as he shook her hand, "Nice to meet you. Can I call you Lizzie?" She nodded her head vigourously. He chuckled and turned to face Derek.

"You must be Derek." Derek continued to gaze at the yellow stress ball on the desk. Noticing this, Greg took the ball and walked back over to Derek, "You want this?" Derek didn't respond; he just simply leaned in closer to Calleigh's chest. Calleigh sighed and ran her fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. She knew he needed a haircut, but she doubted that he would take well to a stranger cutting his hair, and he looked so darned cute with it in his eyes.

Calleigh pressed her lips together in a firm line and looked back at the doctor, who had gotten up and sat behind his desk. Typing away at his computer, he decided to make small talk, to lighten the mood.

"It says here that the twins are turning two next Tuesday." The couple smiled. "Yeah, we're planning something small with family and a couple of close friends," Eric said. "Most of it will be Eric's family though," Calleigh supplied. Eric fake pouted, she simply smiled sweetly at him.

"Okay, it says here that you want Derek to be checked out," Greg said, getting down to business. Calleigh nodded, "Mrs. DiNozzo spoke very highly of you."

Greg smiled, "Yea, Chelcie's like that. She called me yesterday talking about these amazing twins," Calleigh smiled at the comment and listened as he continued, "She went on and on about their talents, how brilliant they were and how happy she was to have them in her class."

Eric let out a breath and smiled thinly, he knew there was some bad news coming. He mentally braced himself as Greg resumed speaking, "However, she also mentioned some behavioural patterns in Derek. That he isn't sociable, that he tends to not hear instructions, and that he is extremely talented in music, especially on the piano." Calleigh smiled at the compliment.

Greg's face turned serious, "I agree with Chelcie's thought that he might be autistic, but I would like to perform the ADOS test on him just to make sure." Calleigh and Eric looked at each other and joined their hands.

"What exactly, is the ADOS test?" Eric asked.

"Well," Greg started, " ADOS, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule allows me to evaluate almost anyone suspected of having autism, ranging from toddlers like Derek, to adults like yourselves. It includes several activities during which I observe his behavioural patterns related to the diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorders."

Calleigh sucked in a breath, she was getting extremely nervous. Just the word, disorder was driving her crazy. " The test includes four modules that take no more than thirty-five to fourty minutes. Module 1 is used with children who do not consistently use phrase speech, Module 2 with those who use phrase speech but are not verbally fluent, Module 3 with fluent children, and Module 4 with fluent adolescents and adults." He looked over at Derek, still bunched up tightly in Calleigh's chest.

"Does he converse with anyone?"

Calleigh licked her dry lips, "Other than a few words being tossed around, I don't think I've ever had more than three or four words with him." Eric nodded, "Me either. The most I've ever gotten out of him was four, and that was during one of his episodes."

Greg raised his eyebrows, "What are these, _episodes_?"

Calleigh's grip on Eric's hand tightened. Eric decided to take the lead, "I don't know exactly what triggers it, but if he gets upset by someone or something, he tends to run into a corner, bring his knees up to his chest and rock back and forth whimpering. This morning, when I tried to approach him he started to scream, he had that same reaction with Calleigh."

The doctor nodded and bit his lip, "I didn't expect that, but my diagnosis all depends on the test." He stood up, folder in hand and walked towards the door, "So if you will follow me…"

Calleigh and Eric followed him out of the door and into the hall. They followed him down the same white hall until they reached the very end. He opened the door and they stepped into what seemed to be a playroom. He gestured for the parents to put their kids down and let them roam.

Eric kissed Lizzie on the top of her head and set her down, she quickly ran off towards the toy bin full of Bratz dolls. Eric shook his head and smiled, the looked over to Calleigh who was having a more difficult time. She had set Derek down, but he was adamant in holding onto her pant leg once again. He sighed as he watch her stoop down to her son's level to talk to him.

"Is he normally this attached to her?" Greg asked. Eric nodded solemnly, "He has grown to be extremely attached to Calleigh. I have my moments with him, but he much prefers to be with Calleigh." Eric said this, the sadness evident in his voice. He was happy that his son had developed such a strong love for his mother, but at the same time, he wanted a son that he would be able to spend quality time with. One he would teach how to swim, how to pick up girls, to play basketball. He'd originally thought that he might have to do that with both his children until they realized how much of a girly girl that Lizzie had become.

To say they were surprised was an understatement, but they loved her nonetheless. Eric had really thought that with his and Calleigh's genes that their little girl would be one hell of a tomboy. Then Lizzie came along. He was overjoyed that he had a little girly girl to spoil and pamper, but he knew that he would have to keep his gun handy when she got older. She would definitely become a looker. Eric sighed as Calleigh made her way over, free from the clutches of Derek, who had become engrossed in the building blocks she had found.

She walked over and stopped next to Eric and wrapped her arm around his midsection. He placed an arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple. Greg took this opportunity to speak up, "Okay, I would like to get started as soon as possible. Would you like to watch? Or would you prefer to wait outside?"

Eric looked to his wife for an answer, she looked into his eyes and gave him the answer that he needed. "We'll stay."

Greg nodded and pointed over to a pair of chairs against the wall, "Okay, just have a seat over there while I set up. I'll just be a few minutes." Eric nodded and pulled in a breath as he and Calleigh walked over to the two lone chairs on that side of the room. They sat down and Calleigh took his hand in hers, threading her fingers through his. She laid her head on his shoulder. He took his other hand and brushed her hair out of her face and behind her hair. He then pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"We're gonna get through this, Cal."

She nodded then looked into his eyes, "I love you."

"I love you more." Calleigh smiled and rested her head on his shoulder once again. "Not possible," she whispered softly, but loud enough for him to hear. Eric sucked in a breath and let it out quickly, bracing himself for quite possibly the longest and most nerve-wracking fourty minutes of his life.

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"Hey, you got a hit on that fingerprint yet?" Ryan asked as he entered the DNA lab.

Natalia shook her head, "Nope, it's still running through the system." Ryan nodded his head, "Hey, you wanna go out for lunch later?"

Natalia shrugged her shoulders, "Yeah, sure. You mind if Valera comes though? She said she wanted to talk to me."

"Yeah, no problem," he leaned over and pressed his lips to her cheek, "Call me when you get those results."

"Will do," she replied to no one in particular as he exited. "Will do what?" Valera asked as she entered the lab. Natalia shook her head, "Don't worry. Hey, Ryan and I are going out to lunch and I want you to come. You said you needed to talk right?"

Valera nodded, "Yeah, but it might be weird with Ryan there though." Valera got up to leave. Natalia became confused, "Why? What do you want to talk about?" Valera turned at the door to face her friend, "My sex life, or lack thereof." Natalia shook her head smiling and turned back to the computer as it began to beep.

"Aaron Jones," she read off the screen. With a smile on her face, she pulled out her phone to call her fiancé.

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"Okay," Greg started, "I have good news and bad news." Eric and Calleigh remained seated as the doctor walked over and began to talk. "Any particular order you want to receive them?" Calleigh shook her head.

"The bad news is that Derek scored pretty high on the ASD test." Calleigh bit her lip, getting nervous. Greg continued quickly, noticing her change in mood, "The good news is that his condition is mild, so he does not need any treatment."

Clearly relieved, a smile broke out on Calleigh's face upon hearing the news. Eric let out an audible breath and pulled his wife closer. Greg was really happy for them, but he still had news to share.

"However, I would like to observe Derek's interaction with his family, to confirm my diagnosis."

Calleigh and Eric nodded in understanding. Getting an idea, Calleigh spoke up, "Why don't you come to the twins' birthday party on Saturday? Our whole family will be there."

"Oh no," Greg shook his head, "I wouldn't want to impose." Calleigh shook her head, "Oh, no imposition at all. Consider yourself invited." She smiled warmly. He grinned back, "Thank you."

They all stood, and Greg offered his hand once again. Eric shook it gratefully, "Thank you so much doctor Smith." Greg smiled, "It's no problem. And call me Greg, I have a feeling that we will be getting to know each other more pretty soon."

Calleigh shook his hand, "Well then, Greg, I will make sure to call you to give you the details about Saturday." Greg nodded and opened the door. Eric and Calleigh got the twins and followed Greg out the door.

They waved good-bye as they exited the building. The couple got into the car with their children, now hopeful of their dream for a bright future. However, they still had a long way to go.

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_**So?? Was it good?? Great?? Disgusting?? Plz review and tell me!!**_

_**Reviews are like chocolate…super tasty and addicting!!**_

_**Remember: ten reviews=next chp :D**_


	4. Love is understanding

_**Heyy guys!! I got my ten reviews…3 of them were from the same person, but because I love that person so much (her stories rule and she is not afraid to criticize me and give me advice! :D) I have decided to count all of her reviews so that I could post this one!! :)**_

_**Thx for all of the awesome reviews!! **_

_**And to all of the NCIS fans reading my fic…I love that show so much I just had to put in Tony's name somewhere XD And don't worry, another name will be in there soon :P**_

_**Anyways…luv u guyz!! Hope you enjoy this chp!! I wanna keep up with the fluff…but that night change after this chp. Warning…a bit of sexual themes in this chp but due to the rating I couldn't go any further :P**_

_**Enjoy!! And please review!!**_

_**Disclaimer: I originally had it, but my dad got a new dog and she got into the house…damnit.**_

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As they got home, Eric and Calleigh spent the afternoon with their children, until Horatio had called. He wanted Calleigh to come in to take a look at the ballistics evidence from a case that had been plaguing the lab. About four hours later, she had returned home to find everyone already asleep in the main bedroom. She walked in to find Eric sprawled across the bed, Derek nestled in the crook of his left arm and Lizzie on his chest with his right arm draped across her back.

Calleigh smiled then got an idea. She walked over to her bedside table and removed her camera from her top drawer. She stood at the foot of the bed and turned on the camera. Lifting it up to her eyes, she finally became confident that they could be a happy family. She captured the moment, lowered the camera and reveled in the moment, not noticing that the flash had woken Eric.

He opened his eyes and saw her figure, "Hey." She smiled at him, "Hey."

"Did you get through with the case?"

She nodded, "Yeah, matched the print I found on the gun to the guy they had in holding. I see you had fun." Eric chuckled, "Yeah, we played Candyland then watched 'Lilo and Stitch'. I didn't even know we had that movie."

Noticing his position, she asked, "You want some help?" He nodded, "Yes, please."

She walked over and gingerly lifted a sleeping Lizzie off of his chest, she responded by wrapping her arms around her mother's neck, thumb still in her mouth. As Eric got up off the bed with a sleeping Derek in his arms, Calleigh left the room and made her way to the twins' bedroom.

She removed the covers and placed Lizzie in her bed, pulling the covers up to her chest. She kissed Lizzie on the forehead and fixed her hair. She walked towards the door, meeting Eric halfway. He flipped the switch, turning the light off, and left the door slightly ajar. They walked in silence down the hall to their bedroom. Eric had intended to lie in bed, cuddling his wife until sheer exhaustion took over, but Calleigh had something more celebratory in mind.

After he turned from closing the door, she pushed him back into it. She pressed her body up against his, pushing her breasts to his muscular torso, sending sparks through both of their bodies. She looked into his eyes, a mischievous glint in her green orbs. She bit her lip and she raked her nails down his chest until they reached the hem of his shirt. Balling his shirt in her hands she lifted it off of his body, throwing it on the floor behind her.

Getting impossibly closer to him, she ground her hips into his, coaxing a low growl from his lips. She knew exactly what he liked, and she knew exactly what would ensue as a result. Lips almost touching, her hands continued roaming his toned muscular body. His hands found her waist moving his thumbs in circular patterns. He raised his hands and removed the blazer from her body; leaving her in a lacy, cream tank top and extremely tight skinny jeans. How Horatio had let her work in those was beyond him.

The top ended just above her belt, leaving a small amount of cream skin bare to the world. Brushing his fingers against her bare skin, he caught the ends of her shirt in his hands and brought them over her head. She remained still, allowing him to slowly undress her. As her top was over her head, his lips crashed down onto hers. She responded eagerly by slipping her tongue into his warm mouth, her hand behind his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her tiny frame into his larger body.

His hands roamed up her body to the sides of her breasts caressing every inch of her milky skin, she shivered in response. Smiling into the kiss his hands moved down slowly until they reached her rear. Squeezing gently at first, he hoisted her up, lips still attached. She wrapped her legs around his waist, ankles linked on his lower back.

He slowly walked over to the right side of the bed and laid her down gently. Standing at the edge of the bed, his eyes raked over her body before he bent down and began his assault on her neck. She arched her neck to give him better access, but he had already started his descent.

He kissed his way down her neck, to the valley between her breasts. She sighed in content as he kissed her stomach and removed her pants tantalizingly slowly…

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"Ready, babe?" Natalia asked, subconsciously playing with the diamond ring on her finger. Ryan entered the room and walked over to her, kissing her soundly on the lips. "Yup."

Due to Calleigh's break in the case, they decided to change lunch into dinner, to wrap up the investigation quickly. They had finished a bit early, but Horatio had told them to go home and enjoy their evening. They told Valera to meet them at Vito's, an Italian restaurant near the coast.

They exited Ryan's apartment, now _their_ apartment and made their way to the elevators. Fingers intertwined, Natalia and Ryan exited the elevator upon reaching the ground floor. As they made their way to his car, Natalia couldn't help but laugh inwardly at what exactly Valera intended to talk about later.

The car ride was silent, filled with only the music from the radio. Deciding to break the comfortable silence, Ryan asked, "So what does Valera want to talk about, exactly?" Chuckling, Natalia took his hand between hers, "You'll see."

Valera had arrived at the restaurant before the couple and decided to hit the bar. "Scotch on the rocks," she told the bartender, "make it a double." She plopped herself down on the stool and sighed. She placed her purse on the bar and ran her fingers through her short hair.

"Rough day?"

Valera turned on the stool to see where the deep voice emanated. Her eyes landed on hazel ones staring intently at her. "More like rough couple of months."

"Wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head with a sad smile, "Sorry, I don't like to discuss my personal life with strangers." He extended his hand, "Greg, Greg Smith." She looked at his hand, pondering if to accept it and make a new friend. _Well he is kinda cute…what would it hurt?_ She thought.

She accepted his hand and shook it lightly, "Maxine Valera."

He smiled in return, "Nice to meet you, Maxine. So, what do you do for a living?"

"I'm a DNA analyst at the Miami-Dade crime lab." Greg's eyes widened and Valera chuckled, "Yeah I get that a lot." Her smile then faded.

"No I didn't mean it like that, it's just, I- you're beautiful, and I didn't expect you to have that kind of- I mean-" he sighed, "Okay, I'm gonna shut up now." Valera chuckled lightly at that.

"I'm sorry, I haven't done this in a while," Greg explained. Valera smiled sweetly at him, "Join the club."

"You? I refuse to believe that you are having any problem in this department."

"That's sweet, but I'm not lying." Greg opened his mouth to reply when a gorgeous Latina and a guy whom he guessed to be her boyfriend came over.

"Hey, you ready?"

Valera nodded, "Yup." She got up and turned back to face Greg, "Sorry, but I gotta go. It was nice meeting you, Greg."

"Yeah, you too."

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Calleigh lay on her back, her midsection covered by the sheets and her head and legs bare to the world. She was cuddled up into Eric's side running her fingers down his chest, basking in the after glow of mind-blowing sex. Her fingers strayed upward to his jaw line where she traced her fingers along his stubble.

Eric responded by pulling her closer into his body and kissing her forehead. She looked up into his eyes, "Hey."

He smiled at her, "Hey." She moved into his body even more and began nipping at his neck, moving upwards. "Hey, can I ask you something?" She nodded into his neck.

"What do you think about having another baby?"

She froze. He spoke up, "No! Not now, but like in the future, after we help Derek and they are a little older."

Silence. The one thing that Eric didn't want to hear after he asked that question. He knew that he wanted a house full of screaming kids, their parents chasing after them. He wanted the whole house roaring with laughter. He wanted a big family. But he wasn't too sure if Calleigh wanted the same thing. He knew that she wanted children, but was two enough for her? He knew that he would do anything for her, but was this something that he was willing to give up?

The dreams for his future? _Their _future? He knew he loved Calleigh, he couldn't imagine life without her, _ever. _He would do anything to keep her in his life. Whether or not they had the same dreams. Whether or not she wanted more than two children. He wanted _her, _and for now, that was all that matters.

"Look, you don't have to answer now. I was just asking. I mean, if you don't want any mo-" Calleigh pressed her lips to his, temporarily shutting him up. The kiss quickly turned more passionate as he added his tongue into the mix. Caressing his tongue with hers, she momentarily forgot why she had shut him up.

She pulled away abruptly receiving a groan in response. She smiled, "I would want nothing more than to have more of you babies." He looked into her eyes, his own sparkling with wonder, excitement and sheer joy. His lips crashed down onto hers in a harsh kiss. He then pulled away, grinning at her.

"I love you, so much," he whispered. She responded by closing her eyes, suddenly overcome by exhaustion.

"I love you more," she said snuggling up to him, her arm draped across his torso. He pulled her sleeping form closer and placed a kiss on the top of her head.

"Not possible."

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_**Did you like it?? Please review…I have an idea for the next chp…but its kinda angsty :( so plz review!! And you'll see what I mean!!**_

_**Luv yall!!**_


	5. Love is family

_**Heyy guys!! Good news: I have decided to delay the angst until after the twins' birthday party…which will be next chp cuz I want to dedicate a whole chp to tht special day :D**_

_**Anyways, this chp is more of a filler…and I wanted to put in some Clorinda/Calleigh convos seeing tht I haven't done tht yet lol**_

_**Anyways...i hope you guys enjoy!! **_

_**P.S. props to NCIS fans tht get the reference in this chp and trust me…the others in the chps to come will not be tht obvious!! XD**_

_**Disclaimer: My new dog barfed it up the other day, but the print is illegible…sigh**_

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The following week passed by all too fast, their routine remained the same: they dropped the twins off at the day care, went to work and picked them up at the end of the day. This went on until the big day: Saturday, the twins' second birthday party. Although their birthday was actually the Tuesday, Calleigh and Eric decided it would be easier to celebrate on the Saturday. They invited all close family, the friends from the lab and, of course, Alexx.

Calleigh woke up around eight in the morning to start preparing for the arrival of the guests. They were due to arrive at eleven, and Alexx and Natalia said they would come around nine with the cake and to help decorate. She took a quick shower and put on her strapless, knee length, green sundress with strappy brown sandals. Her hair was out and wavy, the way Eric liked it, and she had his silver cross dangling from her neck.

Enclosing it in her fist, she remembered the day she gave it to him. It was one of the most emotional days of her life…

_She sat there, looking at him for what seemed like forever. He still hadn't woken up and she was staring to get more nervous, if possible. She didn't know what to do, what to think. She was so scared. Scared that she might never see him again. Scared that he would not be the same guy she had worked with for the past five years._

_She cared deeply for him, she knew that. She just did not know how deep those feelings ran. Until now._

_It took a life-threatening incident for her to realize that her feelings for Eric ran way below the surface. She wanted to do a lot more than just work with him. She wanted to share things with him, to be able to tell him any and everything. She was not only losing a good friend and co-worker, she was losing the man that she could not bear to live without._

_She tightly grasped the chain in her hand, holding the cross between her index finger and thumb. Not knowing what else to do, she took his hand in one of hers and turned it over, palm facing up. She gently opened his hand and with the other hand slowly placed the chain in his hand, cross first. Turning the cross over, she closed his hand around the cross and placed it back next to his body on the bed. She sat there looking at his unconscious form, thinking about him. Wondering if he was in pain, hoping he wasn't, wondering if he was dreaming._

_She was so scared for him. She didn't want him to die. She didn't want him to leave her. Although she found it hard to voice, she could not imagine going to work without seeing Eric's smiling face. It was the one thing that got her through the day. It really amazed her how she had never noticed these feelings before his accident. Before someone shot him. She winced upon remembering Horatio replay the scene to her. She could not stand to imagine seeing him hurt like that, his blood all over the floor…_

The shrill ring of the doorbell brought her back from the painful reverie. She checked her watch, eight-thirty. Alexx and Natalia aren't due for another half hour, so who was here?

She walked downstairs and down the hall towards the front door. She looked through the peephole and saw a familiar face. The corners of her mouth tugged upward, forming a smiled as she opened the door.

"Calleigh, mija!" Clorinda Delko exclaimed as she embraced her daughter-in-law, "Cómo estás?"

Calleigh smiled. "Bien! Pero, porque estás aqui?" she asked effortlessly changing to Spanish. Switching back to English, Clorinda replied, "I feel like we haven't had any girl time, and I thought that we could talk. Do you mind?"

Calleigh shook her head, "Not at all! Come on in Mrs. Delko." Although Clorinda was like the mother she never really had, she could not help but address her as 'Mrs. Delko'. She loved and respected her too much to call her anything but.

Immediately Clorinda scolded her, "I told you, mija, you are to call me Clorinda or mamá, or whatever else. We are family now, there is no need for such formality."

Calleigh smiled and nodded making her way to the kitchen to start the preparations, Clorinda following close behind. She pulled out ingredients from the cupboards and the fridge to make chocolate chip cookies.

"Need any help?"

Calleigh nodded, "Can you mix the dry ingredients in that bowl, please?" Clorinda nodded and grabbed the dry ingredients pouring them into the ceramic bowl. They stood there in silence for a couple of seconds, not knowing what to say.

Taking in a breath, Calleigh broke the silence, "So, how's Pavel?" Clorinda smiled, "He is wonderful, just as lazy as he was before, but I love him nonetheless." Calleigh chuckled.

"How are you doing?"

Calleigh smiled, "I feel wonderful. Everything is great." This is true, everything was indeed great. Her smile soon faded. She would not reveal it, but she was actually nervous and anxious. She had a nagging feeling that something was about to go wrong. Clorinda looked at Calleigh, knowing that something was off, but she shrugged it off.

"So, how are my grandchildren?"

Calleigh's smile reappeared upon thinking of her children. Throwing the eggshells away, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and answered, "The same as always. Although Lizzie has a new fascination with dogs, so, of course, Eric got her a puppy, he's going to pick it up later." Clorinda laughed softly. Her grin faded all too quickly when she asked seriously, "What about Derek?"

Calleigh took in a deep breath and let it out. She and Eric had kept all close family and friends up to date with Derek's condition ever since that doctor's appointment last week. Clorinda was always the first person they called. She was always involved and seemed to be the most concerned as she and Pavel visited every Tuesday and Thursday evening to play with the twins, giving Calleigh and Eric some time to themselves.

Calleigh is extremely grateful to have someone like Clorinda in he life. "He is getting better, " she started, "Yesterday he talked to me." Clorinda's face lit up immediately, "Sí?"

Calleigh nodded, "Yeah. When I picked him up from the day care I asked him if he had a good day, he said, 'Yeah, I played with the blocks!'" Calleigh stopped beating the eggs and looked up at Clorinda who had already finished. She had the biggest smile on her face that Calleigh had not seen since the day the twins were born.

"That is wonderful, Calleigh."

"Yeah, it really is."

Noticing the time, Calleigh realized that she had to wake Eric up. "Mamá," Calleigh's stomach fluttered with excitement upon uttering that word, "do you mind mixing everything together and pouring it out? I have to get Eric out of bed, and of all people should know how difficult that is."

"No problem, mija. And I'm sure you can wake Eric up faster than I ever could," Clorinda replied with a wink. Calleigh turned four shades of pink and bit her lip, exiting the kitchen.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Sweetie, I'm going over to Calleigh's," Natalia said as she kissed Ryan's forehead. Grunting, a half-naked Ryan grabbed Natalia around the waist and pulled her down on top of him. Surprised, Natalia let out a squeal as she landed on him, then began to laugh.

She propped herself up on her elbows, admiring Ryan's facial features. He tightened his grip on her waist and asked, "Why are you staring at me?" his eyes still shut tight. "Cuz I want to," she replied quickly, "Okay, I really have to go now. It's already quarter to nine."

Ryan groaned again and opened his eyes, finding wide, brown eyes returning his gaze. "Do you have to?" Natalia nodded, "I'll make it up to you later, I promise." She pressed a chaste kiss to his lips and removed herself from his grasp.

"How?" he asked, his curiousity peaked. She turned at the door and answered him, in a sultry voice, "Whatever you want." Ryan raised his eyebrows. She smiled and opened the bedroom door to leave.

"You better still have that outfit," he shouted after her.

_Don't need it, _she thought to herself.

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Feeling something pressing against his chest, Eric groaned and tried to get a grip on it. When his hands rested upon something small wrapped in cloth he opened his eyes, confused. His eyes landed on sparkling, green eyes surrounded by a curtain of blonde hair.

He then felt something warm against his neck, "I think that you should definitely wake me up like this everyday." Calleigh smiled into his neck and scratched his chest gently with her nails.

"I guess mamá was right after all."

Now Eric was really confused. "Okay, what are you talking about and since when do you call her mamá?"

Calleigh smiled an put a thoughtful look on her face, pursing her lips. "Let's see," she started, "she told me that I could wake you up faster than she ever could, and since about," she checked her watch, "twenty minutes ago." She smiled and laid back down on his chest, their noses touching.

"Huh?" Then. Realization dawned on his face, and his eyes widened, "She's here?!" Calleigh smiled and bit her lip, nodding. Eric groaned and closed his eyes. Calleigh returned her lips to his neck, still not convinced that he was awake. Eric moaned, then spoke up, "Cal, wrong time to do that. You just told me that my mom is here."

Calleigh smiled again and drew back, brushing her lips against his stubble-encrusted cheek. Lips almost touching, she got up off of him and stood up next to the bed, straightening her sundress.

Eric narrowed his eyes at her, "Tease."

"Today is for the kids, " she replied, "just control the little guy for the day."

"When you're looking like that?" he asked incredulously. Calleigh smiled sweetly at him. He quickly gave in, "Fine, but what do I get out of it?" he asked as she turned to leave.

She turned on her heel, her hair flipping and covering half of her face. "Anything you want," she said, her accent creeping through slightly. Eric raised an eyebrow, "Anything?"

Calleigh smiled and walked out of the room putting an extra sway on her hips, knowing exactly where her husband's eyes were.

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_**So?? Did you like it??**_

_**Plz review!! The first person who tells me which part of this chp relates to NCIS gets to have their idea of what they think should happen at the birthday party in the next chp!! So hurry up!! XD**_

_**Luv u guyz!! :)**_


	6. Love is complicated yet simple

_**Heyy guys!! I am soooo sorry bout not updating sooner, but school really has me going out of my mind. And university is next year :S OMFG I am going madd lol**_

_**Okay so the last episode was really good, minus the Calleigh/ Natalia conversation at the beginning, I mean what the hell was that?! "I did shoot him" Yeah we know!! It's like jeez, could they have made her sound any less inconsiderate?? Even though it is in Cal's character to say things like that. And to me Calleigh does not seem like a vodka martini kinda girl, Natalia does, but Calleigh seems more like "Gimme a beer" lol**_

_**And I am NOT happy at all that Eric is leaving…but the new guy is soooooo yummy lol I love his character already, if Ryan and Nat don't happen I think that Jesse/Nat would be adorable lol**_

_**And will they put Eric in the next episode puhleeeeeeeeeez!! I like need to see him in the show…him being gone isn't fair. Now there are no more Cal/Eric flirty scenes :( dramatic sigh**_

_**Anyways…we need some happiness!! So here is the twins' birthday party!! And as requested, I am bringing Greg into the story, I like his character, and the way I saw him in my mind he is like really hot lol**_

_**Special thanks to Liphuggers and Mrs. Duquesne Delko, they are two of my most loyal readers and reviewers!! I loooooove you guyz!! You guys need to read their stories too, they rock!!**_

_**Hope you like it!! Plz don't hate me for not updating sooner!! :D And please don't hate me for the ending!! :D**_

_**Disclaimer: When I go trick or treating can I get CSI Miami instead of chocolate? No? Okay…shucks**_

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It was twelve-thirty and the party was in full swing. Eric and his father were on the grill making burgers and hotdogs for lunch, Ryan and Natalia were out by the pool being lifeguards and Valera was working the bar, which made Calleigh really nervous. All the invited guests had arrived, save Greg, who said that he would be arriving late.

Eric's close family included his two little sisters, his cousin, who attended their wedding as a best man, and his parents. Calleigh's parents were there as well as Horatio, Natalia, Ryan, Frank, Valera, and of course, Alexx. Lizzie had made two new friends at the daycare and had demanded that they were invited. Calleigh and Eric agreed hesitantly, pondering the effect this would have on Derek. Deciding that it might be a good idea, they called their parents and invited the kids over.

As lunch was almost ready, Calleigh and Alexx were in the kitchen preparing a salad, and chatting away when Valera walked in, three drinks in hand. "One beer for the lovely mother, a glass of Chardonnay for the sophisticated doctor, and a mojito for me," she said smiling. Calleigh smiled in return, "Thanks, Maxine."

Valera moved so that she wasn't in their way. She walked around them and sat on the counter top, taking a small sip of her drink. She really liked Calleigh and Eric's new house, it was big, but not too big. It was homey. And she absolutely adored their kitchen. It was a fairly modern kitchen: black marble counter tops, with white cupboards and an electric stove on the right. In the direct middle was the sink, above which was a window looking out into the front yard. Sitting on the counter, she watched Calleigh and Alexx chopping up vegetables on the island in the middle of the room. She _really _liked their kitchen. _And their life, _she thought to herself. She wouldn't admit it, but she was jealous of Calleigh and Eric, they had it perfect. They were in love, had kids, a huge family and tons of amazingly close friends, what was missing?

Nothing.

Taking a sip of her beer and setting it down, Calleigh opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the doorbell. "Maxine, could you get that, please? Alexx and I need to finish up in here." Valera nodded and made a beeline around them, out of the kitchen and into the hallway. She turned to the left and walked towards the front door. She opened the door and her eyes went wide. She opened her mouth, but he beat her to the punch.

"Umm…Do I have the right address?" Greg asked, clearly confused. "I'm here for Lizzie and Derek's birthday party. You're Maxine right?" he asked, even though he knew very well what her name was. She nodded in return, "How do you know them?"

"I'm their doctor, Dr. Smith."

Valera's eyebrows raised, impressed by the man before her. _He's really cute and a doctor, _she thought as she took in his appearance. He seemed to be about six feet tall, with tanned skin, piercing hazel eyes, spiked black hair and what seemed to be a very toned torso from what she could see through his tight fitted shirt. Dressed casually in jeans and a brown shirt that made his eyes all the more visible and tennis shoes, he had all of Valera's points on her checklist: tall, dark and handsome. _And smart, _she added in her head.

She stepped aside for him to enter, "Come on in, Greg, I'll take you to Calleigh, she's in the kitchen." He smiled and nodded, stepping in, "Thanks, Maxine." She then noticed, aside from the gift bags, that he held a small briefcase in this hand. "What's that for? She asked, curious. "Wha- Oh! I'm here to observe how Derek acts in his natural environment."

Valera bit her lip and nodded. She really worried about Derek. He was the sweetest boy when he was ready to talk to her. Really smart and considerate, she absolutely loved the little boy. She used to visit all the time with Natalia, just to spoil them, to their parents' dismay, like aunts do. When she found out that he was autistic she almost broke down right then and there. She loved the twins dearly, just as much as the rest of the team, and she would hate to see them have to suffer through anything. She was relieved upon hearing the results of Derek's test, she was overjoyed.

Seeing her change in attitude, he added, "Derek is a lovely little boy once he lets you in, and I'm sure he acts like a normal little guy around all of you. I'm just here to confirm that." Feeling slight reassurance Valera let out a breath, "Calleigh's right in here." She walked into the kitchen and announced, "Greg is here."

Calleigh turned at the sink to see Greg next to Valera, a smile tugging at his lips. "Hey, Greg, how are you?" Calleigh asked, her accent peaking through ever so slightly. "I'm good," he replied nodding, "Chelcie wanted a consult on her daughter, Abby. She's also autistic, but she's improving greatly."

"I didn't know she had kids," Calleigh said.

"Yeah, Abby, who's now nine, and Jenny who is turning twelve." Smiling, Calleigh quickly changed the subject, "Everyone's out back, and the kids are in the pool. Why don't you follow me?"

Greg nodded in response, taking one glance at Valera, who returned his gaze, smirking. A corner of his mouth tugged upward in a lopsided grin and followed Calleigh out of the door. He trailed behind her, going down the hall into what he guessed to be the twins' playroom. He exited the door behind her and squinted, adjusting to the Miami glare. He saw many people scattered across the lawn. He noticed the two older couples on a white table, under a multi coloured beach umbrella and guessed that they were the grandparents.

Next, he saw a group of younger men and women chatting animatedly, although it seemed to be more of an argument. Just then, Valera walked by. Greg's eyes followed her, in the brown sundress, towards a group of four people, two of who he recognized as the two that were at the restaurant with her that night. They were talking to two older men, one with red hair, and really snazzy shades, and a larger one, balding.

His eyes followed her slim figure, not paying attention to what Calleigh was saying. Little did he know, Calleigh followed his gaze until her eyes landed on Valera as well. He watched her hand Eric a beer, and before he knew it, she was walking their way. Walking around the small, inflated pool with splashing children, she approached the two.

"Can I get you something to drink?" she asked, looking intently at Greg. He stared for a moment, then realized that she had asked him a question, "Huh- oh, no thanks. Shouldn't be drinking on the job."

"Come on, " she urged. "You need to loosen up a bit. I make a mean scotch," she joked. Calleigh raised her eyebrows at the scene unfolding in front of her. Why do they seem to be so familiar with each other? As he and Valera walked off to the makeshift bar, Natalia came up to Calleigh. "Who is that?" she asked, "He looks familiar."

She turned away from the retreating pair to face her friend, "That's the twins' doctor, Greg Smith." Natalia's eyebrows went up, "I thought good looking doctors only existed on TV." Calleigh chuckled, her eyes returning to the two, chatting about something that made Valera swat his chest and giggle. "Go Maxine," she said softly then raised her voice slightly, "I'm gonna check on lunch."

Natalia nodded and walked over to her fiancé, she smoothed out her yellow thin-strapped dress and sat in his lap. He responded by wrapping an arm around her waist. Smiling, Calleigh picked up her camera from the table next to her and captured the moment, planning on giving them a copy of the picture. She took a few more pictures of the rest of the party and turned to the kids in the small pool.

Eric had bought it about ten months ago, claiming that his children were born fish. She smiled and snapped a picture. She then noticed that Derek was absent. She looked straight ahead and saw him, wet, and in Eric's arms, helping with lunch. She briskly walked into the house and came back out with a handful of towels. Dropping the rest on the table, she kept one and headed towards the two.

"Babe, he's gonna catch a cold," she started, unfolding the towel, "Come on, Derek. You need to dry off."

He shook his head vigourously, "Want stay with papí." Calleigh smiled thinly, "Will you put on the towel if you stay with papí?" He smiled and nodded. Eric wrapped his son in the towel and brought Calleigh closer, kissing her on her forehead, "Thanks, Cal." She smiled and touched his cheek with her hand, then she saw a flash. She turned to see a grinning Alexx with the same camera in hand. She smiled and removed her hand, using it to ruffle Derek's hair, who giggled in response.

"Cal, can you bring out the plates? The food's about done."

She nodded and walked off, waving to Lizzie in the pool, who waved back excitedly, a grin plastered on her face. Calleigh entered the toy room and made her way down the hall towards the kitchen, but not before noticing that Valera and Greg had moved their chat inside. Greg had his hand on her knee, as she threw her head back in laughter. Clearing her throat, Calleigh interrupted their conversation, "Maxine, could you give me a hand? Lunch is ready."

Reluctant to leave, Valera paused, then nodded and turned back to face Greg, "I'll talk to _you_ later." He smiled and watched as the two women left, his eyes trained on a certain part of Valera's anatomy… He then realized that he should be outside, observing Derek. Stepping outside, he took a seat and opened his briefcase. He pulled out his notepad and started to take notes, looking at Derek with Eric by the grill.

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"So, what were you two talking so much about?" Calleigh asked, while pulling the plastic plates out of the cupboard. Valera shrugged and answered, "Nothing really." Calleigh pursed her lips, wondering if she was going to get anything out of her.

"Okay, but you two seemed familiar. I just thought…"

Valera nodded, "Yeah, I met him when I went out with Ryan and Nat. he was at the bar at the restaurant, and we started talking."

"You haven't talked to him until today?"

Valera shook her head, and Calleigh smirked. "What was that? Why did you smirk?" Calleigh shrugged, "It's nothing." Valera put her hands on her hips. Calleigh out her hands up in defense about to speak, but Natalia walked in. "Hey, are we talking about Valera's yummy guy?" Valera's face turned three different shades of pink, "He's not mine."

"Yet," Calleigh and Natalia confirmed out loud. Valera sighed and opened her mouth to retort, when Eric's booming voice resounded the kitchen, "Cal?!"

"Coming!" she shouted back. "We will talk later," she said, winking at Valera. "Yes we shall," Natalia supplied. Valera sighed. Calleigh smiled as she picked up the pack of plastic plates and exited, her two friends in tow. She put them on the table next to the grill and turned to her husband, "I'll go get the kids. Where's Derek?" She squeezed his hand. Eric nodded towards Horatio, not saying a word. She squeezed his hand again, in thanks, and walked over to the pool.

"Hey girls, lunch is ready."

"Yay!" all three girls hollered. Calleigh picked up all three towels from the table, asking Natalia to help dry them off. Taking one of the towels, Natalia proceeded to scoop up Lizzie's new friend, Ashleigh, coaxing her to giggle. Calleigh lifted Spencer, Lizzie's other new friend, out of pool he laughed as she made rocket sounds, swaying him slightly in the air. Finally, she took Lizzie out and spun her around causing her to squeal with laughter. "Ready to eat, birthday girl?"

"Yeah!"

She kissed Lizzie on the cheek and motioned for her to go to Eric. She then walked across to Horatio and Derek. "Hey," she greeted them. Bending down to Derek's level, she said softly, "You want some lunch, sweetpea?" Derek smiled brightly at his mother and nodded. He climbed out of Horatio's lap and took his mother's hand as they walked over to the picnic table.

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Calleigh placed the plastic plates in the large plastic bag, taking them inside, along with two trays in the other hand. She placed the trays in the kitchen sink, turning the tap on. She began to soap the dishes when she felt hands roaming up her sides to her shoulders and down her arms, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Larger, tanned hands grasped hers and pried her fingers loose of the tray, filling the spaces between her fingers with his. He tilted his neck and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent. He tugged her body back into his, pressing soft kisses into her neck.

She leaned into his embrace, only for a moment. "Eric," she protested, "I thought I told you to wait." Eric shrugged, "Really? I forget." Calleigh smirked, "Sure you did." Turning her around, he pulled her arms up and behind his neck. He placed his hands on her waist, his eyes moving down from her eyes, to her slender neck, the perfect swells of her breasts, her small waist and the slight curve of her bottom.

"Gorgeous," he said, not meaning to voice the opinion, but not wanting to take it back either. Calleigh felt her cheeks become warm and she looked away. "Nuh uh," Eric said, holding her chin, making her look him in his eyes. He gazed into the bright green eyes, those that reeled him in the first time they met. He leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"I love you."

Calleigh chuckled softly, reveling in the moment, "I love you, more." He kissed her chastely. "Not possible, babe," he whispered, resting his forehead on hers. Pecking her lips again he broke the moment and tugged at her hands, "Come on, it's time for the piñata." She nodded, and let him lead her back outside, silently missing the moment.

As they walked through the doorway Calleigh noticed that Eric had already set the game up. Squeezing his hand, she left his presence, going to retrieve the camera from Alexx. Picking it up, she turned back around to see Eric giving Lizzie the stick, knowing very well that she knew what to do. Warning everyone, he stepped back and motioned for Calleigh to come over. Resuming her position at his side, Calleigh snapped a picture of Lizzie holding the stick before Eric told her to "Let her rip."

A grin broke across Lizzie's face upon hearing those three words. Each of the kids was allowed three hits at the stuffed figure hanging from a nail on the side of the roof. Calleigh took many pictures of Lizzie attempting to burst the piñata on her three tries unsuccessfully. Next was Derek's turn. Handing the stick over to him, Lizzie patted him on the back, telling him to give it his best. Derek walked over to the piñata, and did exactly what Lizzie had done. He swung wildly and whacked it as hard as he possibly could. And, on his first shot, the colourful figure that once loomed over the little children, now hung open, its contents spilling onto the floor.

Everyone looked at Derek wide-eyed, wondering how in the world he had managed to do that. How he had managed to break it open on his first shot. Including the kids, who, instead of rushing to the immense amount of candy on the floor, went to Derek congratulating him on his accomplishment. He, however, didn't take the congratulations lightly. He began to scream and flap his arms wildly, pushing everyone away from him, wanting to get some space.

Everyone around him slowly backed way. Calleigh lowered the camera and looked over at her son, taking a step towards him. Then, the unexpected happened. Derek fell to the floor and began to convulse, his eyes rolling in their sockets to the back of his head. Everyone stood there shocked, especially Calleigh and Eric, who were scared out of their wits. They had _absolutely _no idea what to do now.

Fortunately, Greg did. He rushed to Derek, rolling him onto his side, "Calleigh, call an ambulance now! He's seizing!" Calleigh stood there still in a daze, his words not registering in her brain. She was paralyzed. Coming out of his own daze, Eric pulled his cell phone out of his pant pocket, dialing 911 and praying silently that Derek would make it out of this.

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_**OMG that last part was sooo unbelievably hard to write :( I love the twins like they were my own children…and I looooooove children. It was so hard to write and even harder to read over cuz I had to check for spelling. Anyways, puh-leeeeeeez don't hate me!! :D I looove you guys!! And a special thanks to C.H.E.A.R for the idea! You're awesome!!**_

_**Anyways plz review!! I need feedback, cuz I need to know where exactly you guys want this story to go. I'm not too sure what to make of Derek's condition, so that's y u need to review!! So review!! **_

_**Love you guyz!!**_


	7. Calleigh

_**Heyy guyzzz…I've been dying to write chps in Eric and Calleigh's point of view…so I thought what better time to do it than in the middle of a family crisis!! Okay…that sounded horrible but its true!!**_

_**Special thanks to delkolover138, C.H.E.A.R., Kayla, vickyhiphuggers, Mrs. Duquesne Delko, Mariia10 and heartrevolution for all of the awesome reviews!! XD Loooooove u guyz!! 3**_

_**So here's Calleigh's point of view first!! Enjoy!!! It's SUPER SHORT!!**_

_**Disclaimer: I asked the producers for CSI Miami and they laughed in my face :'( sigh**_

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_Calleigh…_

Fear. Anxiety. Despair. Nausea. Dull ache. Heartbreak. Nervousness. Anger. Sorrow.

I can't move. I can't feel. I can't think. I can't say. I'm useless. I cause pain. I cause anguish. I cause despair. I hurt the people that I love. I hear voices. I hear screaming. I feel the frantic movements going on around me. I can't move.

I feel someone behind me. Familiar? I see pleading, sorrowful, deep, brown eyes. I see things moving around me. Am I moving? Where am I going? I can't think straight. I feel my legs moving. I feel something warm around my hand. I can't move my head to see what it is. I'm numb.

Numb with pain. Numb from everything around me. Nothing affects me. I feel almost nothing. Physical. I feel almost nothing _physical._ Everything is swirling around in my head. I feel every single melancholy emotion that I can name.

What is wrong with me?

Why can't I control my emotions anymore? I feel like I'm drowning. Drowning in self-pity. What did I do to deserve this? My son never did anything to anyone. _Never. _Nothing ever stays good for long. Some thing bad always happens. That's life. My face feels wet. I can't move my hands. Paralyzed with fear. Paralyzed with anxiety. Paralyzed in pain. Does that even make sense?

Nope. But what does anymore? My life is the furthest thing from making sense at the moment. I always wonder why. Not one of us has done anything to deserve this. Derek is just a child. Why him? He is only two years old! Anger. Not good right now. Need to calm down. Need to breathe. Need to relax.

Everything is moving around me. So fast. Too fast. I'm not moving. Am I? I still feel something warm around my hand. I try to move my head. Inch by inch. Come on. You can do this. Just a little bit more. You can do this. You have to.

I see a hand. A large, tanned hand, wrapped around mine. I smile inwardly, having used all of my energy to move my head. I feel so feeble. So weak. So…incomplete. A whole has formed in my heart. And it grows bigger by the second…

No.

I am not weak. I am Calleigh Delko. I. Am. Not. Weak. I have everything I could have ever wanted. The love of my life, children, a loving family and friends. This is just a minor setback. One that we will deal with. Together. All of us. As a group. As a family. Nothing will keep me from having a happy family. Nothing will stand in my way.

This is not who I am.

I am not weak.

Life without my family is too hard. I have to do everything in my will power. _Everything. _Nothing better be in my way. In the way of me and my dreams. That long winding road filled with obstacles. I shall not quit. I will prosper. And conquer this thing called grief. This thing called despair. This thing called anger. This thing called sorrow.

This thing called life…


	8. Eric

_**Heyy guyz!! Thank you soooo much for all of the amazing reviews!! :D They fuel me to write even faster…like these three chps in 3 days :) **_

_**You guys are awesome!! Hope you enjoy Eric's POV!! It's not as sad as Calleigh's…and I found that the last chp was a little OOC for Calleigh but I think that cuz she is now a mother she would feel more strongly for her kids, especially if one of them is in trouble…but u guys liked it so that's all that matters. So enjoy!! Less angsty!! SUPER SHORT AS WELL!! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own it but I would like to talk to the producers to see…no?? Are you sure??...They are laughing at me again…sigh**_

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_Eric…_

Pain. Anxiety. Confusion. Fear. Anger. Sadness.

I can't move. Paralyzed. I can't feel. I'm scared. I'm worried. I don't know what to do. I hear, but I cannot act. I am numb. People around me, frozen. In fear? In sorrow? In pain? I can't tell. I do not even know why I am paralyzed. I can't even think straight. I hear a voice. Telling me what to do. Telling me to call for help. I can't. I can't move. I can't think. I can't breathe. I can't…

No.

I can't do this. I can't do nothing. I can't just stand here and watch my son suffer. I need to do something. My son needs me. He is in trouble. I _have _to help him. Come on, you can do it. I move my arm slowly. Pain shoots up my arm. Excruciating pain. I can do this. Get through it, the pain, for Derek. He needs you. Lizzie needs you. Calleigh needs you.

Calleigh.

Is she okay? She isn't moving. She doesn't even look like she is breathing. I need to get her to move. Derek is on his way to the hospital, we need to go. I tug at her, and, with almost no effort, she moves with me. It's like she isn't in there anymore. She isn't Calleigh. I need to get her back.

Strength.

I feel it, moving through me. I can feel once again. I wrap my hand around hers tightly. I don't want to let her go. I _refuse _to let her go. Not now. Not ever. I need her now. We need her now. Her family. I need to get her back. But how?

I loosen my grip on her hand slightly, thinking that I must be hurting her. I look out to my side at the moving pictures. They were moving so fast. No. I am moving, in a car. Who is driving? I see red hair and relax. I hear sirens.

I turn to look at Calleigh. She moved her head, her eyes now trained on our joined hands. I smile at her and thank God that she has responded to me in some way. I lift our hands and bring the back of hers to my lips. Kissing it gently, I reassured her that everything will be okay. That Derek will be fine. That we _will _get through this.

I lower our hands and look at her. Her eyes are now on me. I smile weakly, not able to complete it. I see her attempt to smile back, however it looks more like a grimace. Typical Calleigh. Grin and bear it. But this time it's different. I see the pain in her eyes. I see the fear. The anxiety. The anger. The sorrow. It's clear in her now dull green eyes.

Glancing over her features I note that her porcelain skin is now pale, her eyes losing their bright colour, her hand trembling in mine. This is affecting her more than I had imagined. Her maternal instinct had kicked itself into overdrive. She looked like she was having a nervous breakdown. _That _is _not_ typical Calleigh.

I shift in my seat, moving closer top her, using my free hand to pull her head down onto my shoulder. I kiss the top of her head and inhale her scent, the scent that never failed to calm me down.

That's it!

A melody then came from my shut lips, soft and soothing. I squeeze her hand lightly, showing her that she is not alone. I feel her body tense at first and I begin to worry. Then she calms down and eases herself into my body. I feel her let out a breath. I bring my hand to her face, wiping away the rivers of tears flowing freely down from her eyes.

Continuing to hum to her, I feel my own eyes burning. Hot tears streaming down my face. I did not bother to wipe them away. I was too preoccupied with convincing myself that Derek was going to be okay. That we were going to be okay. Cuz we are.

Aren't we?

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**So?? Did ya like it?? I tried to make it less sad and less angsty cuz Eric needs to be the man lol. So tell me what you think plz :D**

**Love u guyz!! :)**


	9. Love is strong

_**Heyy guys!! Sorry for the wait but I had a hard time finishing this chp…I had no idea what to write, I like it but please don't hate me!! REFRAIN FROM USING THE FIRE!!**_

_**And omg the last epi was too cutee. I hated their first scene but the last one made up for it!! They are too cutee…but they could have made them have a little more physical contact pretty please!! :)**_

_**Anyways here's the next chp, don't hate me at the end!! :)**_

_**Disclaimer: You can stop laughing at me now!! And quit bragging!! We all know you own CSI: Miami!!**_

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Ryan and Natalia were worried. Worried for Derek. Worried for Lizzie. Worried for Calleigh and Eric. Natalia wanted to help, do anything that she could. She and Ryan had volunteered to drop Lizzie's friends home. After which she and Ryan made their way to the hospital, almost breaking the speed limit a couple of times. Ryan had even contemplated putting the siren to use, but then decided that it was not the best idea.

As they arrived, they jumped out of the car with Lizzie and headed for the entrance to the ER. They walked in, eyes darting about the room, trying to find a familiar face. Spotting a blonde head, Natalia walked over and sat next to Calleigh, Lizzie in her arms. Calleigh's eyes were transfixed on something on the floor. Putting a hand on her shoulder, Natalia attempted to comfort her friend but to no avail. Lizzie got out of Natalia's lap, and stood in front of her mother, putting her hands on her mother's cheeks.

"Mommy okay?"

Calleigh's eyes remained on the floor, not paying attention to the comfort her friend and daughter were providing, "Calleigh," Natalia started, "where's Eric?"

Calleigh couldn't answer, it seemed impossible for her to do. Why was it so incredibly difficult for her to say that Eric went to talk to the doctor? Why was it so hard for her to say that she was scared out of her mind? Why was it so hard for her to say _anything_?

Just then, Eric approached. Natalia looked at him, a glint of hope in her eyes. Calleigh remained still. "Daddy!" Lizzie squealed running at him. Eric lifted her up into his arms and hugged her, kissing her forehead. "Hola princesa." Lizzie smiled at her dad, "Papí, donde está Derek?" Eric sighed and looked at his daughter, "Espera un momento princesa. Va a Horatio para cinco minutos, bien?" Lizzie nodded and Eric placed her on the floor. She ran across to Horatio and Alexx and sat in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder, thumb in her mouth.

Running a hand down his face Eric relayed the information the doctor just told him to the two women, "The doctor said that he had a grand mal seizure, apparently it occurs in some autism cases." He sighed and continued, "Derek's gonna be fine. They said there is a chance that this could happen again, but Greg said that he will pay more attention to Derek to determine the chances of him having another seizure and to find out what had caused the seizure originally." Calleigh still hadn't made even the slightest move.

He let out a shaky breath and walked over to her, stooping down in front of her. "Cal, he's okay. Everything's okay." She bit her lip. "Cal," he said, taking her hands in his, "Look at me. Look. At. Me."

Her head moved up slowly, until her eyes were looking into his. Her eyes were bloodshot, rimmed with tears, bright green still absent. "Derek is fine. He is going to be okay. We're fine." She closed her eyes and nodded, tears falling from her eyes. He pulled her into his body, embracing her tightly as she sobbed silently into his shoulder. Natalia took this as her opportunity to give them some time alone to sort everything out. She got up and walked over to Ryan, sitting opposite them.

She sat next to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. She let out an audible breath, trying so hard not to cry. She bit her lip, attempting to hold back her tears. To her dismay, they flowed down her warm cheeks freely. Ryan pulled her in as close as possible and held her as she wept.

This was taking a heavy toll on everyone. He looked up and saw Alexx crying on Horatio's shoulder and Lizzie in his lap, Frank next to them, his head in his hands. Across from them were Calleigh and Eric's parents. Calleigh's mother crying softly, her hand in Duke's. Eric's mother was sobbing uncontrollably, Pavel's hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly. Then he saw Valera, her head on Greg's shoulder, sobbing like Natalia and Calleigh. He wondered how they were so close already, but quickly dismissed the thought upon feeling Natalia shift against him.

"Nat," he started, "everything is going to be okay. Trust me. The doctor said he was fine, didn't he?"

Natalia nodded, looking into his eyes. She opened her mouth to dispute the point but Ryan shushed her, "He is okay. Whatever the future brings, Calleigh and Eric will handle it. They love him too much to let him suffer through anything alone." Smiling slightly, Natalia nodded and let out a breath resting her head on Ryan shoulder again.

_He's right, _she thought, _they would never let him suffer. Ever. They have everyone here helping them out. There is no way Derek will have to go through this again._

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Two weeks had gone by since the incident and everything had returned to normal. Clorinda and Pavel still made their visits, as well as Natalia and Valera. They all tried hard to keep the same routine as before, as Greg had mentioned. He stated that autistic children needed that sense, the sense of routine. Without it they tended to get worse, it was important that Derek was comfortable.

Despite everything, Derek had not changed at all. It was as if he had no idea what had happened, he had no memory of it. Greg said that it was perfectly normal, normal seizure victims have suffered from memory loss. Not remembering what had caused it, nor the seizure itself. It was safe to say that when he woke up in a hospital bed, he was confused.

Since then, he and Lizzie had acted the way they were before. Lizzie was confused more than anything upon seeing her brother in such a state. She remembered being picked up by aunty Nat and driving to the hospital.

"_Aunty Nat?"_

_Natalia turned in her seat to look at Lizzie in the backseat, "Yea sweetie?"_

"_Is Derek okay?" she asked, concern in her voice for her brother._

_Natalia bit her lip, not knowing what to say. "We're going to figure out just now, okay?" Lizzie nodded, "Is mommy okay?"_

"_She will be," Natalia whispered, tears forming in her eyes. Seeing this, Lizzie said, "Don't cry aunty Nat. Don't be sad."_

_Natalia had to smile at the little girl's attempt to cheer up. She's a lot smarter than they give her credit for. "Thanks, sweetie. I'll try." Lizzie grinned and looked out of the window. Unaware of what she was going to learn._

Lizzie and Derek sat in the playroom, enjoying their time together playing with the blocks. Derek, who normally didn't share the blocks, openly asked Lizzie to play with him. They had remained there for the past half an hour, building towers and knocking them down. Across the room, Eric and Calleigh sat in the armchair, Calleigh between his legs, watching intently at their children.

Calleigh was laid back against Eric's chest, her head on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around her middle. Eric turned his head to the side, pressing a kiss to the side of her head, pausing for a second to take in her scent. She smiled and placed her hands over his, squeezing lightly. Then, the doorbell rang. Wearing only a pair of jeans, Eric thought it best that Calleigh answered the door.

Calleigh, more clothed than her husband in a pair of shorts meeting her knees and a thin-strapped top, got up and walked down the hall to get the door. She opened it and was surprised to see Greg and Valera standing on the other side. Greg had a frantic look on his face, and judging by their apparel, they had just come from a date.

"Greg, Maxine, what are you guys doing here?"

"I need to talk to you and Eric. Now," Greg said, seriously. Calleigh chewed on the inside of her cheek and nodded, letting the two of them in. She led them into the playroom, where the rest of the family was, Eric now fully clothed.

"Eric, Greg and Maxine are here. Greg said he needs to talk to us."

Eric nodded and got up. "Max, would you mind watching the twins? I want to talk to them alone," Greg asked. Valera nodded and kissed him on the cheek. "I hope everything goes well," she whispered. "Me too."

He walked out of the room, following Calleigh and Eric into the kitchen. They sat on the chairs around the island and Greg sat on the opposite side. Realizing that he was too anxious to sit, he got up and started to pace.

"Okay," he began, "I don't know how exactly I'm going to tell you this."

"Tell us what?" Eric asked, getting nervous. Calleigh held her hand in his, squeezing it tightly.

Greg let out a breath, "There is a possibility that I might have misdiagnosed Derek." Calleigh's jaw dropped and Eric's eyes widened.

"Based on what just occurred in my head this evening, he might not be autistic at all."

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_**Sorry for the cliffy…but I felt it necessary.**_

_**I don't like too much info being in one chp, so the next chp will be about finding what is actually wrong with Derek. I don't think that it will be long; I actually think that it will be on the shorter side.**_

_**But the good news is that Ryan and Natalia's wedding is coming up!! XD I want to make that a full chp thing as well. Focusing more on the reception than on the ceremony itself, but tell me what you think should happen!! I want to keep tht chp fluffy btw :)**_

_**Anyways…love u guyzzzz**_

_**Review pretty please!!**_


	10. Love is always triumphant

_**Heyy guyzzzz :D**_

_**Was anyone else upset by the fact that neither Eric nor Natalia were in the last episode? Anyone? Cuz Eric not being there I understand…but Natalia? I mean where did she go?**_

_**And omg the promo for the next epi :'( I am going to bawl for that epi!! I hope and pray that they keep Cal and Eric together. Like seriously, what would CSI be without Eric? :(**_

_**Sigh…**_

_**Anyways I am apologizing for my cliffy and for keeping you guys waiting for so long :) Hope you still love me!! :P**_

_**Like I said before, this one isn't going to be very long…but the next one of Ryan and Natalia's wedding is going to be!!**_

_**Here's the continuation of the last scene!! Hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Disclaimer: I'm gonna go back and bug them tomorrow, when my confidence builds…**_

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_Previously…_

Greg let out a breath, "There is a possibility that I might have misdiagnosed Derek." Calleigh's jaw dropped and Eric's eyes widened.

"Based on what just occurred in my head this evening, he might not be autistic at all."

_Continuing…_

"Wha- What are you talking about? Derek _isn't _autistic?" Calleigh asked incredulously. Greg continued, "Yes, I don't know why it didn't come to me before. I should have seen it. I can help him…"

As he trailed off, Calleigh looked at her husband, anxiety clear in her green eyes. Eric turned back to Greg, who was now pacing hand covering his mouth.

"Greg." No answer. "Greg!" Eric said a little more forcefully, finally getting his attention. "If he isn't autistic, does that mean that there is nothing wrong with him?"

Greg shook his head, "No." Their faces fell upon hearing him say that one word. "No, but I can help him. But you have to understand what is wrong first. Don't lose hope."

Biting her lip, Calleigh nodded and squeezed Eric's hand. Letting out a breath, Eric said, "Okay. We're listening."

Greg sighed and continued, unable to refrain from pacing, "Derek, like I said, has the symptoms of autism. What I _didn't _realize until after he had the seizure is that although they do occur in some autism cases, I should have taken Derek's mild case into mind."

Greg paused, mentally and physically, trying to find the best way to relay this. He looked at them and removed his hand from his mouth. "Due to the fact that Derek's condition is so mild, I believe that he might not be autistic, but might instead have the Landau-Kleffner Syndrome."

Calleigh and Eric looked at him with blank faces, showing him that they had no idea what he was saying. He began to explain, gesticulating with his hands, "Some children with epilepsy develop a sudden loss of language skills and many often develop the symptoms of autism. This is a common misunderstanding between autism and seizures-"

"So Derek is epileptic?" Eric said, cutting him off. "Well yes, in a sense…"

Calleigh shook her head, "No." She took in a breath and ran her fingers through her hair. "No. Is he or isn't he epileptic?" she asked, looking at him.

"The seizures are the only part of his condition that is considered epileptic. The loss of language skills is something that he developed through no fault of his own. It's like he has a mixture of both."

Eric let go of Calleigh's hand and got up, feeling frustrated. He walked around the island and ran his hand down his face. He didn't know what to do, what to think. How should he even react? He was confused and frustrated most of all.

As Eric left her side thoughts raced through Calleigh's mind. What did this mean? Did this mean that he was better than he was before? Or is he worse? Finding the strength to ask questions, she opened her mouth, "What does that even mean? Is he better off than he was before? Is he worse? Is it even treatable?"

Greg sat down on the chair next to Calleigh and looked at her intently, "I don't know exactly what it means." Calleigh felt like she was about to break, she couldn't take much more of this. She felt nauseous, like she was about to throw up and pass out at the same time. She _hated _not knowing what was going on.

Greg started again, "But there are treatments to help him cope with it." Calleigh looked up and into his eyes, her eyes curious and grateful at the same time. "There are a number of treatments ranging from therapy to medicine and even surgery. We need to talk more to choose which one is best for Derek."

Calleigh nodded feeling relief wash over her. A small smile crept onto her face as she took his hand in hers, "Thank you Greg. Thank you, _so _much." Greg smiled, "Don't thank me yet. Let's see where everything goes. Thank me when Derek is cured. Thank me when I have done my job."

Calleigh smiled thinly, "Thank you for reassuring us that Derek will be okay. Thank you for giving us hope." Greg nodded and stood up, "Okay, I think I should give you guys some time to process everything. Maxine and I can watch the kids," he said pointing in the direction of the playroom. "Talk to him," he whispered to Calleigh.

She looked over to her husband, who was now looming over the sink, looking at the dark, night sky. Not noticing that Greg had left, she walked over and stood next to Eric. She placed her hand on his, and looked at his face, searching for what he could possibly be thinking. She brought her other hand up and touched his cheek. He closed his eyes and leaned his head into her hand, sighing.

He turned to face her, opening his eyes to her loving gaze. They needn't say anything, their eyes communicated it all. Their connection was that strong. They told their anxiety, their worry, their joy and their fear, without uttering a single word. Calleigh let a small smile creep its way onto her face as she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him closer. He wrapped his arms around her shoulder and pulled her into him.

He pressed his face deep into her neck and inhaled her scent, the scent that always calmed him down. He pulled back and pressed his lips to hers chastely. He pulled away and rested her forehead against hers. He felt it now. They joy was surging through his veins. The relief. The pain slowly going away. Replaced by hope. Replaced by the chance, that one chance, that everything would be okay. They were one step closer to that dream.

Not able to contain himself, Eric bent down, wrapped his arms around Calleigh's waist and lifted her up. Spinning her around the beautiful sound of her laughter filled his ears. The perfect melody. Ceasing from spinning he pulled her into him, her feet still not touching the floor. He put her down and held her hand in his.

He looked down into her eyes, those same eyes that just showed pain and fear. Those same eyes that were dull and showed no life. They were now bright, shining, rimmed with tears. Tears of joy. Tears of happiness. The tears spilled down her cheeks, contrasting the smile she had plastered on her face. Wiping her tears away, he finally spoke, "Come on."

She nodded and followed him out of the kitchen and into the playroom where she saw Derek and Lizzie on Greg's back. Calleigh laughed at his position. He was flat on his stomach, the twins straddling him like a horse. Derek, in front, had some of Greg's short black hair in his hands and Lizzie was behind him, her arms around Derek's middle as if she was holding on for dear life.

"Do I even want to know?" Calleigh asked, looking at Valera who shook her head. "Way too funny. You had to be there," she said, trying hard not to collapse in a fit of laughter. Calleigh nodded, chuckling. She let go of Eric's hand and went over to the twins. "Come on, guys. Uncle Greg has to go now." Lizzie pouted, but got off. Derek held his arms out to his mother, silently asking her to pick him up.

Lifting him into her arms, she kissed his forehead. Turning to Greg and Valera she spoke up, "Thank you so much. We'll call you and we'll set up an appointment soon." Greg nodded. Valera walked over to Calleigh and gave her a small hug, mindful not to crowd Derek and kissed her on the cheek, "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Maxine."

Greg shook Eric's hand, "See you soon." Eric nodded, "Thanks again."

"It's no problem, just doing my job," he replied. Eric smiled at him and led the two of them to the front door after waving good-bye to the twins.

Hearing the front door close, Calleigh realized something and set Derek back down on the floor. She turned to find Eric in the doorway. "Time to call the family."

"Who do you want to call first?" he asked.

"Mamá," they both said at the same time.

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_**I just had to make everything happy again! I said it was going to be a fluffy family fic and that's what it's going to be!!**_

_**So…did ya like it?? I did a lot of research and found out about that condition and the treatment and I thought that we could use a break from the angst. I want to write two more chps on Cal and Eric's point of view as I did before…but tell me if u think I should!!**_

_**Review plz!! And I'll have the next chp up faster!! Should it be the Ryan/Natalia wedding or Cal and Eric's point of view again? Tell me plz :)**_

_**Love you guys!! :D**_


	11. Love is amazing

_**Heyy guys!! Sorry I haven't updated in a while but I had a bit of writer's block :S**_

_**Anyways…am I the only one who actually enjoyed the last epi?? Cuz that was like the best case epi they EVER had!! Eric leaving is horrible…and I HATE that…but he and Cal didn't break up…so I'm kinda sad and happy at the same time…if that makes sense :P**_

_**Back to the story…here is Ryan and Natalia's wedding!! Hope you guys enjoy it!! Please review!!**_

_**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything…sigh…oh well**_

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Walking down the aisle, her right arm linked with her husband's, Natalia couldn't help but feel ecstatic. This was the happiest she'd felt in years. The smile on her face was there from the moment she woke up that morning and was reminded that she was getting married. She laughed inwardly at the memory.

_Natalia lay on her side in the bed, curled up underneath the covers, snoring lightly. She looked peaceful and happy, obviously having a good dream. Little footsteps echoed through the room, but not loud enough as to wake the sleeping bride-to-be. The bed sunk in slightly at the end as they small figures crept up the bed slowly, trying not to wake her up once again._

"_Wake up, aunty Nat!"_

"_You gotta get weady now!"_

_The two loud voices resounded the bedroom, causing Natalia to jerk up from her slumber, almost throwing the twins off the bed in the process. _

"_Wha- huh?" Natalia looked around in confusion. She then saw the two pairs of eyes on her and smiled. She fell back down against the pillows and ran her hand down her face._

"_You 'kay aunty Nat?" Lizzie asked. "Yeah, sweetie, I'm fine."_

"_You gotta get weady now," Derek repeated, smiling. That made Natalia get back up. Those were the first words Derek had ever said to her. The corners of her lips curved upwards, forming the biggest smile she had probably ever made._

"_I guess I do huh?" She kissed Derek on his forehead, "Why don't you go and get mommy, Lizzie and I will be right out, okay?" Derek nodded his head and leapt off the bed, making his way out of the bedroom. Natalia sighed, she was really impressed with Derek's improvement. She had Maxine's new man to thank for that._

_Feeling small hands on her cheeks, Natalia looked into Lizzie's bright green eyes. "You gonna mawy uncle Wy today?" Lizzie asked._

_Natalia smiled and nodded, "Yup, today is the day, the first day of the rest of my life with Ryan Wolfe."_

As they neared the limousine to take them to the hotel for the reception, Natalia watched the group of women gather around the front of the church, ready and waiting for the new bride to throw the bouquet. Natalia laughed upon seeing Maxine in the front, looking excited and terrified at the same time.

Turning around, Natalia closed her eyes and threw the bouquet behind her, resulting in the frantic screaming and laughter of the cluster of women. Turning around, Natalia laughed out loud at the sight before her. Maxine stood there, bouquet in her hands, looking as pale as a ghost, her eyes wide. She then looked up at Natalia who shrugged suggestively and turned to enter the limousine.

Ryan, after witnessing the silent conversation between Maxine and his new wife, he turned to open the limo door for her. Helping her in, he walked over to the other side and got in. Sitting next to her, her took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly, "We did it Mrs. Wolfe."

Natalia smiled back, a tear escaping her glassy eyes, "That we did, Mr. Wolfe."

Wiping the tear away, Ryan suddenly felt confident. Confident that he will lead an amazing life with Natalia. Confident that they will be happy, and that they will pull through anything that comes their way. He had Eric to thank for this newly found confidence. Without him, Ryan probably wouldn't be here right now.

_Someone knocking on the door pulled Ryan out of his thoughts. Opening the large wooden door, Ryan let Eric and Derek in. Looking pretty darn cute in his tux, Derek had the pillow with the rings resting on top of it. He rested it on the table by the window and sat on the chair, his feet swinging over the side._

_Ryan looked over at Eric, hands visibly shaking. Eric chuckled at him, "You okay, man?"_

"_I- I have no idea."_

_Chuckling again, Eric stood up next to him and straightened his already perfect tux, "Relax, Ryan. Everything will be okay the moment you see Nat walking down the aisle. You will see how gorgeous she looks, dressed in white, looking like an angel sent down from heaven to sweep you off your feet. You will have no doubt in your mind that you want to spend the rest of your life with her."_

"_Wow, Eric. I didn't know you could be so sentimental," Ryan joked._

"_Shut up, Wolfe," Eric said, with a smile on his face._

"_Were you this nervous? Before you married Calleigh?"_

_Eric shook his head, "Nope. That's why mamá was so worried. She thought it wasn't natural for a groom to be so calm on his wedding day," he shrugged, "So don't worry. Being nervous is normal."_

"_So I guess you're just not normal," Ryan shrugged._

"_Again, shut up, Wolfe."_

_Both men laughed. Eric placed a hand on Ryan's back, "You love Natalia. I can see it, and there is no doubt in my mind that she feels the same way. So you have nothing to worry about. Just breathe and once you see her, a vision in white, your nerve will disappear. Trust me"_

_Eric was right. He was so right. The moment the music started to play as Natalia rounded the corner at the bottom of the church, arm linked with her father's. Ryan's breath hitched in his throat. Natalia glowed in that dress. The bodice clung to her body, accentuating her cleavage just the right amount, with sequins littered across it. The rest of the dress flowed down from her hips, elegant ruffles adorning the lower part of the dress. _

_At that moment in time, Ryan never felt so…happy. This was the best thing he had decided to do in his entire life. He felt so right, standing there, about to marry the love of his life, the nerve slowly fading away…_

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The ceremonious clinking of glasses gave way to the first speech of the night from the best man, Ryan's older brother, Jeremy. Looking like an older and more muscular Ryan, Jeremy stood between the groom and his own wife, and began his speech.

"Well," he started, "I never thought I would be the one making this speech, so it's gonna be kinda short. Not because I didn't think I would be his best man, but because I never thought Ry here would ever get married." Ryan scoffed and looked at his older brother incredulously, who only laughed in response.

"I'm kidding, bro. But seriously though, Nat, if you _ever _need any help, I have _so _many ways you could torture him into getting your own way." Looking at her husband, Natalia smirked and replied, "I have my own ways."

"Whoa okay," Jeremy said with a laugh. Upon noticing Ryan's reddened face he added, "Care to elaborate there Ry?" Ryan looked mortified as he shook his head vigourously. Laughter erupted from the crowd.

"Anyways, what was I saying again? Oh yea, I never thought I would be here, giving the best man speech, at my little bro's wedding, but here I am. And I am so incredibly happy for you guys. Nat, you're gonna have yourself a handful, living with him, but I'm sure if you married him you could handle it." Natalia chuckled.

"And I'm gonna get in a lot of trouble for saying this, but the first time I saw Natalia I was like 'Whoa, how did Ry land that?'" As he chuckled he also received two slaps on both of his arms, one from Ryan and one from his very pregnant wife. "I'm joking. I'm joking. Geez, can't anyone take a joke around here?" he chuckled nervously.

"Anyway, Ry, you know that I love you, man. Nat, welcome to the family, I can see that you two are in really deep, and I'm so glad that you found each other. Here's to the bride and groom, may you lead a happy life, and be able to put up with his crap." Ryan slapped him once again. Smiling, Jeremy raised his glass and finished, "To the bride and groom."

"To the bride and groom," echoed through the room. Taking a sip from his glass, Jeremy turned to Ryan, "You did good man. Natalia seems perfect for you."

Ryan smiled, "Thanks, man. Means a lot coming from you."

Jeremy feigned horror, "What's that supposed to mean?" Ryan just laughed and turned his attention to his wife. Leaning over he kissed her on the cheek, "My brother's an ass."

Natalia chuckled, "He means well, and you know it."

"Yeah I know," he sighed, "I love you, missus Wolfe." Natalia grinned and held his cheek in her left hand, brushing her thumb over his freshly shaven face, "I love you, too." Leaning in, she brushed her lips against his. Seeing a flash out of the corner of her eyes, Natalia smiled into the kiss and broke it, only to see Calleigh, camera in hand, grinning at the newly married couple.

"I want a copy of that!"

"No problem," Calleigh replied, a huge smile still on her face.

The DJ then made an announcement, "Hope you ladies and gentlemen are having a great time, but now it's time to clear the dance floor for their first official dance as husband and wife. So, welcome to the floor, mister and missus Wolfe!"

Whoops and hollers were heard throughout the room as Ryan and Natalia got up hand in hand. Making their way onto the dance floor, Natalia looked at her husband, loving that fact that she could call him her husband. Hands still joined, Ryan twirled Natalia around before bringing him back into his body as the song played.

_**Could I hold you for a lifetime?**_

_**Could I look into your eyes?**_

_**Could I have this night to share this night together? **_

_**Could I hold you close beside me? **_

_**Could I hold you for all time? **_

_**Could I, could I, could I have this kiss forever**_

Natalia rested her head on Ryan's shoulder as they swayed to the music. This was her favourite song, and Ryan could not help but give her what she wanted on their wedding day. Marrying her was all that he wanted. She could have wanted to get married in a court room with only their family there, and he wouldn't have minded. He only wanted to be able to call her his wife.

Flashes from the endless cameras surrounded the couple. Calleigh lowered her camera and smiled at her friends. She was really happy for Natalia and Ryan. This wedding was truly beautiful, she wanted nothing more than their happiness.

Suddenly a pair of arms encircled her waist. Leaning back into his touch she sighed. Eric pressed a kiss to her temple, "You doing okay?"

She nodded and turned to kiss him on the lips, her hand on his cheek, brushing the barely there stubble. "I love you." Smiling he replied, "I love you, more."

"Not possible."

As the song ended, the DJ spoke up again, "Alright, let's give the newlyweds a round of applause." Clapping and wolf whistles erupted from the dispersed crowd before the DJ spoke again, "Now it's time for the bride to dance with her father, and the groom with his mother. You are all welcome to join in."

_**If I could get another chance **_

_**Another walk, another dance with him,**_

_**I'd play a song that would never ever end**_

_**How I'd love love love, to dance with my father again**_

Giovanni, Natalia's father, made his way onto the dance floor, hands open to engulf his daughter into a hug. Natalia choked out a laugh, tears in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around her father's shoulders. She pressed herself into her father's tall figure and breathed in his cologne, feeling comfort and love. She really loved her father. They never really had time to talk or even go out to lunch, but, to her, him being here, this dance, it all made up for everything. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I'm so proud of you Talia," he whispered, "You did good."

"Thanks, dad."

People then began to file onto the dance floor in pairs. Looking over his shoulder, she saw Ryan and his mother dancing, Ryan's eyes closed, a tear escaping his eye. She smiled at her husband, knowing how much he really loved his mother. She was the one person he would never be able to let go. He could not go two days without calling her and Natalia found that adorable.

Looking at the two pairs on the dance floor, Eric felt someone tugging on the ends of his jacket. He glanced down to see the wide green eyes of his daughter peering back into his. He lifted her into his arms and asked, "May I have this dance, my lady?"

Lizzie giggled and nodded. As he walked out onto the dance floor, he noticed Calleigh doing the same, Derek in her arms. He spun in a circle, causing Lizzie to squeal and laugh loudly. He chuckled at how loud and excited she was and she wrapped her arms around Eric's neck, Lizzie placed her head on his shoulder.

Continuing to sway to the music, Eric kissed the side of Lizzie's head. Just then, he heard her speak, in the faintest voice, "Te amo, papí."

"Te amo, también, princesa."

Pulling away Lizzie looked into her father's eyes, "Y mamí? Y Derek?" Eric nodded. "Sí, mamí y Derek también. But I love you more," he added, squeezing her sides causing her to laugh out loud. Her laugh echoed through the room, her small body wriggling to get out of his grasp. When Eric stopped tickling her he put Lizzie on the floor and followed closely behind her as she made her way through the crowd to her mother.

Tapping her leg Lizzie said, "Mamá, I want dance wif Dewek. You dance wif papí." Chuckling, Calleigh nodded and placed Derek on the floor, and moved over to Eric, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders.

"She has quite a mouth for a two year old."

"I speak for Lizzie when I say, 'two and a quarter'," he replied in a girly, baby voice. Calleigh laughed and held him closer.

The evening played on, people mingling, dancing, drinking, the children dancing and playing around, but it was soon time for the bride and groom to make their exit.

Giving Calleigh one last hug Natalia whispered in her ear, "I love you guys. Tell me if anything happens while we're gone, okay?"

"I will," Calleigh replied, letting her friend go, "We love you, too. Have an awesome honeymoon."

"Oh, I will make sure of that," Natalia said suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows for added effect. Calleigh scrunched up her nose, "Okay, did _not _need to know that." Natalia chuckled, "Bye sweetie. See you in a week."

"Bye!"

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_**Did ya like it?? Hate it?? Review and tell me please!! XD**_

_**Love u guyz!! **_

_**Translations:**_

_**Te amo, papí- I love you, daddy**_

_**Te amo, también, princesa- I love you too princess**_

_**Y mamí? Y Derek?- And mommy? And Derek?**_

_**Sí, mamí y Derek, también- Yes, mommy and Derek, too**_

_**BTW the songs are Could I Have This Kiss Forever by Whitney Houston and Enrique Iglesias and Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross :)**_


	12. Love is joyful

_**Heyy guyzzzz. So sry for not updating sooner but the stupid ppl who came to fix my AC got my comp all wet so my mom had to take it to see if it could be repaired :S It had all of my fics on it :( sigh**_

_**Anyways…to answer some questions about my fic: Lizzie and Derek are now 2 and a half yrs old, and for those who think that they seem older they aren't, I am modeling them after my brilliant cousins who are the same age :) I am also aware that the twins speak Spanish and I thought that Cal and Eric would want their children to learn it, because it really does help in life to know more than one language. And I am aware that I missed Calleigh and Eric's wedding anniversary, but I am putting that up pretty soon so be ready for an OVERLOAD of fluff :D**_

_**Anyways…this chp is all about the Delko family having a day of fun :D Hope you guys like it!! **_

_**Disclaimer: I still don't own it…damn**_

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Calleigh laughed and looked on at the scene playing out in front of her. Eric had fallen asleep next to her on the sand after a while, leaving Calleigh to watch over the kids building sandcastles. Little did he know, but Calleigh had let them do a bit more than they were allowed. Lizzie had accidentally gotten some sand on Eric's chest and proceeded to get it off, then she got an idea. She turned around and shoveled a heap of sand onto Eric's chest.

Seeing this, Calleigh expected Eric to wake up, but he didn't. To her amusement, Lizzie and continued to pile sand onto his bare chest, making a rather large mountain. Soon, Derek joined in, making a second mountain on his stomach. Smiling at her children, Calleigh added, "Why don't you bury his whole body?"

Lizzie grinned and nodded, looking as if she got the most sinister idea ever. She walked over to Derek and whispered something into his ear. Derek smiled and nodded, handing Lizzie his other shovel.

About ten minutes later, Eric was fully submerged under sand, except his head. Calleigh chuckled, wondering how in the world he had slept through that. Then, she got another idea.

She got the attention of the twins and put her index finger to her lips, telling them to keep quiet. They both nodded eagerly, not knowing what their mother was about to do.

Calleigh rummaged through their beach bag and pulled out her light blue wrap, small threads escaping the bottom in a modern style. She balled it up in her right hand, a few of the threads dangling underneath. Crouching next to Eric's sleeping form, she lifted the wrap to his face, trailing the threads lightly over his cheek and nose. When he wrinkled up his face Calleigh pulled back, but he didn't wake up. This time, she traced his upper lip with the threads, moving up to his nose.

When Eric began to twitch Calleigh stepped back, awaiting the scene to play out like it did in her head. Eric, not knowing what was on his face, proceeded to raise his hand to swat away what was on his face, receiving a face full of sand as a result. He shot up, the sand falling off of his body, trying to wipe the sand off of his face.

Calleigh fell backwards in laughter, clutching at her stomach and rolling to her side. Lizzie and Derek stood laughing at their father, Lizzie's hand pointing at him. Getting all of the sand out of his eyes Eric opened them to see the images that accompanied the raucous laughter he heard. Calleigh was on her side laughing and his children were pointing and laughing at him.

"That was not funny," he pouted, crossing his arms like a vexed child.

"Yes- it- was," Calleigh choked out, not able to say anything else. Lizzie and Derek nodded their heads vigourously, Derek with a huge smile, Lizzie still laughing.

"Who's idea was it?" Eric asked.

Derek pointed towards Calleigh. Eric narrowed his eyes at her, then looked at the twins. "Stay here," he whispered, "I'm gonna get mamí back." They nodded and sat down on the towel. Eric got up and moved over to his wife, still on her side laughing. He placed an arm on her shoulders, another around her waist and hoisted her up.

She squealed, "Eric no! Put me down! Help me here guys!" The twins just sat there and shook their heads smiling. Eric walked down towards the ocean, Calleigh thrashing around in his arms. Calleigh was strong, and he often gave her credit where it was due, but she was not stronger than him.

Knee deep in the water, Eric looked down at Calleigh and asked her, "Is it still funny?"

"You're gonna drop me in either way so I'm gonna answer truthfully and say…yes," she said with a smile. Eric let out a breath, "Okay, for telling the truth I won't drop you in."

Calleigh's eyes brightened, "Really?"

Eric smiled mischievously, "Nope."

With that, he threw her forward, screaming rather loudly, and she splashed into the ocean water. He then began to laugh as she came out of the water with a face of pure annoyance that he found incredibly adorable. The echoes of Lizzie and Derek's laughter were heard, making him smile even more, if possible. She pouted and crossed her arms, mimicking his previous actions. He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a lopsided grin. She rolled her eyes and walked out of the water, still seeming to be annoyed with him.

Eric caught up to her about half way and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pressing a kiss into the crook of her neck. "Sorry, babe," he apologized. "You know I just wanted to get you wet," he added jokingly. She chuckled at that and turned in his arms. Not able to read her expression, he gave her a pleading expression of his own along with a wide smile. Caving, she pressed a kiss to his lips and turned around.

Reaching the twins she picked up Lizzie and engulfed her in a hug, getting her wet in the process. "I got you wet!" Calleigh laughed. Lizzie giggled as Calleigh started to tickle her, "Mamí no! Stop! Ahh!" Eric chuckled at the pair then looked towards Derek, shrugging. Derek shrugged back, not knowing why, but followed his father's actions nonetheless.

Drying herself and Lizzie off Calleigh sat back down on the towel. Then Eric spoke up, "Why don't we all go for a walk?" Calleigh smiled then nodded, packing up the bag. She tied the wrap around her body and held her shoes in her hand, "Let's go."

Derek placed his hand into his father's ad Lizzie placed hers in Eric's other, holding her hand out for Calleigh to take. She took it as they began to walk across the shore of the beach. Calleigh sighed and took in the moment. It was everything she really wanted in life. A happy family, all together, all healthy and happy.

She had two amazing children she would do anything for, and the best husband she could possibly ask for. At that moment, Calleigh had never felt more happy or appreciative in her whole life. She was grateful for everything in her life, everything she had now. Because all that she had now was all that she ever needed.

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Turning the AC down, Eric refocused his attention on the road. Not long after their walk, they had decided to go home. He had noticed how visibly tired all three of them were, so he opted to drive them home. They had made sure to shower and change the twins at the bathrooms, because they knew how easily they would fall asleep on the way home. It wasn't a long drive, but he knew that Calleigh, too, would fall asleep.

Looking at the rearview mirror Eric quickly checked on Lizzie and Derek, who were sound asleep in their car seats. The corners of his lips tugged upwards as he looked back at the road.

Thoughts raced through his mind, most of them regarding their wedding anniversary coming up. He had no idea what he was going to do, but what he did know was that Ryan and Natalia would be back by then, and he and Calleigh hadn't really had any time alone in a long while…

Pulling into the garage, Eric gently shook Calleigh's shoulder to wake her up. Her eyelids fluttered open and she stretched out as far as she could given the confined space.

"Hey, we home already?"

Eric nodded, "You guys knocked out the moment I started the car." Calleigh shook her head, "Nuh uh, I remember seeing you pull out of the spot."

He chuckled, "Come on, we need to get those two in their beds." Calleigh nodded and unfastened her seatbelt, to open the door. She opened the back door and undid Derek's seatbelt, lifting his sleeping form into her arms. She closed the door and walked around the car to see Eric on his way toward the door, their bag on his left shoulder, Lizzie in his right arm.

She followed behind him and waited for him to open the door. She walked into the house and walked up the stairs to put Derek to bed. She pulled the covers down and placed Derek gingerly in his bed, kissing him on his forehead. She exited the room and walked down the hall, meeting Eric by the staircase. She took the bag from him and entered their bedroom. She walked around and placed the bag on the floor, flopping down on the bed after.

She then felt two hands on her waist, pulling her to the edge of the bed. "Eric not now, I'm tired," she said, almost whining. Eric chuckled, "Never thought I'd hear you say that, but I was actually gonna ask you if you wanted to take a shower. And, since it's only seven, do you wanna watch a movie?"

Calleigh let out a breath, not wanting to get off the bed, but she knew that she needed a bath…and badly.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

About half an hour later, Calleigh had washed all of the salt water and sand out of her hair and walked into the bedroom. He had on a pair of pink and grey short shorts and a white polka dotted thin-strapped top.

"What're we watchin'?" she asked, moving onto the bed next to Eric.

"Hitch."

Calleigh smiled widely, "That's my favourite movie." He nodded. She cuddled up to his side, draping her arm across his abdomen, quickly getting comfortable. Calleigh snuggled closer to Eric and laid her head on his chest, her damp hair splayed across his chest. She placed her left leg between his and tangled them together. Sighing in content she tried to focus her attention on the movie. Eric looked down at Calleigh and smiled as he leaned down to press a kiss to the crown of her head.

"I love you, you know that?"

"You've said it once or twice," she joked, already almost asleep. He laughed, "Well I'm saying it again, I love you."

Calleigh shifted, getting more comfortable before replying, "Mmm, love you more."

A small smile appeared on his face as he watched his wife fall asleep, "_Not _possible."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

_**Hope you guys liked the overload of fluff!! :D**_

_**Review pretty plz!! XD**_

_**Love yall!!**_


	13. Love is rewarding

_**Heyy guyzzz…sry I haven't updated in like forever but school is really driving me up a wall. I don't think I can take this anymore lol**_

_**The other day I told my mom that I wanted to drop out and she was like "Okay" but I'm pretty sure she was being sarcastic :S sigh**_

_**Anyways… And I have an idea for another fic like after this one is finished…but this one is going to go on for another little while. I decided to make it between 15 and 20 chps…hopefully all of you guys will be there for the rest of the ride :D**_

_**Here is the next chp :) And plz review!! I am getting tired of only having a few ppl reviewing…even though they are like my most loyal readers ever. Seriously…you guys need to review cuz the more reviews u give the faster and more I update (it's a chain reaction!! XD)**_

_**Thanks sooo much to Liphuggers, Mrs. Duquesne Delko, CSImiamiHIPHUGGERS.4EVER, Kayla and amieewllms1 ur reviews fuelled this next chp :)**_

_**And for all u guys plz read the stories by Mrs Duquesne Delko and Liphuggers!! They really are awesome and I personally enjoy them A LOT!! :D Love u guyzzz :P**_

_**Disclaimer: I have a meeting with the board tomorrow…hopefully we can strike up a deal ;P**_

****

Two weeks had passed since Natalia and Ryan had returned from what they referred to as 'the best vacation ever'. Calleigh visibly winced every time it was brought up, or even when it invaded her thoughts. She most certainly did _not _want to envision her two friends doing…that.

This quiet Friday evening found the whole team, including Alexx and Greg, at the Wolfe household for a barbecue dinner. The men and women were on either side of the lawn, the children mediating in the middle, playing in the inflatable pool Eric had brought along.

The men were huddled around the grill, beers in hand, chatting about the latest football game. Ryan and Eric on the same side, Frank, Horatio and Greg on the other. Eric and Ryan seemed to be losing the argument, despite the fact that their team had won the match.

Glancing at her children in the pool once again, Calleigh ensured their safety before turning her attention back to the group of women seated around the white table. Calleigh took a sip of her wine before placing it on the coaster once again, the coaster a side effect of Ryan's slight OCD.

"You're not serious, Max."

Valera nodded, "Dead serious, he was about to say it, then he changed the subject by saying that he loved my dress instead."

Natalia sighed. Maxine and Greg had only been together for a few months, but it seemed that their feelings ran rather deep. Also, judging by the near slip of words on the part of Greg, Natalia guessed that they would be getting really serious pretty soon.

"Do you feel the same way?"

Not hearing the question, Maxine continued to stare across the lawn, her boyfriend the object of her gaze. Natalia smiled, she had never seen Maxine get so fixated on one guy before. She seemed as if she could stare at him for hours on end. That gave Natalia the answer she wanted, but instead she nudged Calleigh and pointed her in Maxine's direction. Calleigh grinned and came up behind Maxine, her lips right next to her ear.

"Must be a good show," she said, volume a little higher than usual. Maxine jumped a foot into the air and landed back on the chair with a dull thud, causing all the girls to laugh out loud. "Relax, honey," Alexx said before turning to the girls, still giggling, "That was very mean Calleigh."

Calleigh sucked in her bottom lip in an attempt not to laugh, slowly but surely gaining control over her laughter. Natalia, however, had no such luck. Placing her ginger ale on the table in the middle of the four women, she placed her hand over her mouth. Thinking that she was failing at withholding her laugh, Calleigh burst out laughing once again.

Suddenly, Natalia got up and ran into the house, still clutching at her mouth. Pairs of confused eyes followed her figure as she sprinted into the house, all except Ryan, who sprinted in after her.

"What do you think that was about?"

Calleigh jumped slightly at the unexpected voice lingering by her earlobe, but turned to see the familiar face of her husband. Placing her hand over her heart in an attempt to soothe it she replied, "No idea. Don't think it was anything we did…"

Calleigh's voice trailed off as Ryan came out, his hands up, "She's okay. She'll be out in a little while." He then walked over to the group seated by the table. He leaned over by Calleigh and whispered in her ear, "Can you talk to her for me, please? She doesn't want to talk to me."

Calleigh's eyebrows furrowed together, confusion etched all over her face. Ryan looked at her, a pleading look on his face and she sighed, getting up from her chair. "I'll be right back," she said to the other women on the table, who nodded their heads in understanding.

Running her fingers through her long blonde locks, Calleigh entered the house and made her way to the staircase. Knowing that Natalia would be in the master bedroom, Calleigh walked down the hall to the door at the end. She tapped her knuckles softly on the wooden door three times. Hearing a faint voice on the other end she hesitantly opened the door, not knowing what to expect on the other side.

Natalia sat on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands, brown hair hiding her face. Calleigh walked across to the bed and sat down, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's back.

"Nat, sweetie what's wrong?" she asked, rubbing soothing circles into her back. Natalia shook her head and sat up, "Nothing. I'm okay, great actually. Never been better." She even plastered a smile on her face to emphasize her point, but to no avail. Calleigh saw right through her façade.

"Something is wrong, I know it. You can tell me. What's going on?" she asked seriously.

Natalia took in a deep breath and let it out. She pulled her hair out of her face and looked Calleigh in her eyes. Her mouth felt as if it were made of cotton. She licked her lips, attempting to moisten them.

"I'm pregnant," she said, smiling slightly.

Calleigh's eyes widened and a grin broke out onto her face. "That's amazing!" she screamed, enveloping her into a deep embrace. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

"Because the doctor wanted to run some more tests to make sure the baby was healthy. There was a complication, I thought I miscarried-"

"You what?!" Calleigh interjected, sounding incredulous.

Natalia winced, knowing that she would react this way. She put her hands up in defence, "I didn't want to tell you guys anything until we talked to the doctor. She said that I didn't miscarry, but that she wanted to run a couple more tests to ensure that the baby was safe."

Calleigh nodded, taking Natalia's hand in hers and laced their fingers, "Is it okay? The baby?"

Suddenly becoming engrossed with something on the floor, Natalia's eyes focused on the wooden floor and shrugged, "I don't know, she didn't call me back yet."

Calleigh sighed and squeezed Natalia's hand reassuringly, "Everything will be fine."

"How do you know that? What if-"

"Nope," Calleigh interjected, shaking her head, "_Everything will be fine._ You have to believe that, you have to have hope."

Natalia still looked doubtful, "What if I can't have any kids after this? What will I do? How will I be able to tell Ryan?"

Calleigh squeezed her hand once again, "Everything will be fine. If that is the case you guys will be able to deal with it, just like we were when Derek was diagnosed. Would you be able to tell that he has a condition based on how he acts now?"

Natalia smiled thinly, it was true. Derek had come a long way, and they were all proud of him, not to mention overjoyed that he could be a normal little boy. They all knew how it sounded, the word 'normal', but they really did not want to have Derek to be obligated to deal with something that grave at such a young and tender age. They all wanted him to have a happy and healthy childhood, and that included having no restrictions to his actions.

"No," Natalia answered, a small smile still evident on her face. "If we can get through that," Calleigh smiled in return, "Then you and Ryan can get over whatever problems may arise."

Natalia let out a breath and looked at Calleigh. "You guys are stronger than you think," she continued, "There is no doubt in my mind that this baby will be safe and, should there be any problems, that the two of you would be able to handle it."

Natalia nodded. The pair then stood up and straightened their sundresses. Natalia ran her fingers through her brown hair and looked up, her eyes rested on Calleigh. She looked into Calleigh green orbs and said softly, "Thanks, I really needed that."

Calleigh smiled, "No problem. Now let's go downstairs, I'm sure that everyone will have a million and one questions waiting for you."

"Oh, I already have answers rehearsed for that," Natalia replied with a wave of her hand, "For the past week I have been using the stomach flu so that means that I can still use that excuse for another…" she paused and drifted off into thought before completing her sentence with a smile on her face, "two days."

Calleigh scoffed, hands on her hips.

Natalia laughed and linked their arms as they exited the room. Her thoughts drifted to the endless questions and comments awaiting her reappearance outside. She sighed and continued down the stairs, she would just have to grin and bear it. She should be able to be straight with them soon, because it shouldn't be much longer until the doctor called.

_Besides, they really do mean well, _Natalia thought, _let's get this show on the road._

****

Sunday evenings found the Delko family seated in the living room for a family movie night. The movie night had become more frequent upon Lizzie and Derek's new found ability to sit still and focus on something for more than five minutes, much to Calleigh and Eric's joy.

On the floor, close together, lay Lizzie and Derek on a light blue blanket, their heads elevated by two pillows, and Lizzie's thumb in her mouth, as per usual. Every once in a while Calleigh and Eric pondered why Derek had never picked up the habit, but then again, Derek was not a typical toddler. On the couch, Calleigh lay against Eric's front, her hair in a low ponytail, their legs tangled together.

All four pairs of eyes were focused on the screen watching the movie that the twins had picked, _Finding Nemo._ The two were completely and totally in love with the movie, wanting to watch it almost every Sunday. Calleigh and Eric had relented the first couple of times, both agreeing that the movie was actually quite good. However, it quickly became annoying, and after a while they were both able to recite almost half the lines of each major character, a skill neither in particular wanted to possess.

For the first time, and much to their dismay, the shrill ringing of the house phone had interrupted the family's movie night. The twins jumped up and looked to their parents. "Can we get?" Lizzie asked eagerly. Calleigh smiled at her children and nodded. The two smiled and ran to answer the phone.

Reaching it first, Derek lifted the receiver and placed it between his and Lizzie's ears. They both greeted, "Dewko home."

It would take an enormous amount of self-restraint not to grin at how adorable they sounded. It was something Eric had taught them to do, however it was their idea to attempt to say "Delko home". Eric pulled Calleigh closer and whispered into her ear, "I could get used to this. Can we teach them to cook and clean too?"

Calleigh swatted his chest lightly, chuckling softly. Eric leaned in to capture her lips in a soft kiss when Lizzie's voice was heard, "Mommy, is aunty Nat!" Calleigh gave him a look then got up and walked towards the twins. Taking the receiver from Derek's hand she bent down and said to them, "Why don't you go back and watch the movie?" The two nodded their heads and ran off into the living room where they assumed their previous positions, Lizzie's thumb in her mouth before she even sat down.

"Hey Nat, what's up?" Calleigh said.

"The doctor called about half an hour ago," was Natalia's reply.

Calleigh's breath caught in her throat. "And?" she asked shakily.

"Everything's okay, the baby's fine."

Calleigh let out the breath she was holding and clutched her hand to her chest. "Thank God."

"Yeah," she heard Natalia say, however she didn't sound too excited. Picking up on this Calleigh probed deeper, "What's wrong? Why don't you sound excited?"

"It's nothing, the doctor said that she wants to see us first thing tomorrow morning."

Calleigh flicked her ponytail over her shoulder and brushed a stray hair out of her face, "What do you think she wants to tell you?"

"Honestly, I don't know and I'm scared to death."

"Nat you need to breathe, I'm sure that everything is fine and that she just wants to take some extra precautions or something. Just relax and try to get some sleep. I'll see you at work tomorrow, okay?"

She heard Natalia let out a breath, "Okay. See you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Calleigh placed the receiver back down and walked back into the living room. She resumed her old position, resting her head against Eric's shoulder. He pressed a kiss to her temple, "What did Natalia want?"

"Nothing much, just to tell me that she has a doctor's appointment tomorrow," Calleigh replied, not knowing whether or not she should let Eric know about Natalia's pregnancy. She made a mental note to ask her about that tomorrow, _after _she tells her about the appointment that is.

"That's good, hope she feels better," Eric replied, obviously thinking that she still had the stomach flu. Calleigh nodded and snuggled deeper into his embrace as she looked at the children's movie once again, mouthing the words that Dory was voicing on the screen.

****

_**Tell me if you like the fact that Nat's preggers!! Plz review!! Like I said they fuel me to write faster!! :D**_

_**And fear not…Calleigh and Eric's wedding anniversary is in the next chp :) So plz review so that the chp will come faster and better!!**_

_**Love you guyzzz!!**_


	14. Happy Anniversary pt 1

_**Heyy guyzzz…I told yall that the more u review the faster update so here it is!! XD And I'm really proud of it :D**_

_**It's kinda long, well longer than my past chps and it has a tiny bit of smut in it but I can't continue because of the rating (which I want to stay true to). But if you guys want me to continue that scene plz review and tell me!! It'll be my first time writing that kind of stuff but I'll try!! :D**_

_**Hope you guys like it!!**_

_**And thanks sooooooo much to Mrs. Duquesne Delko, Liphuggers, CsiMiamiIzLove, C.H.E.A.R, MDPD CSI Detective Kat, and Kayla!! Your reviews fuelled this fast and awesome update (if I do say so myself :P)**_

_**And I just realized…did I put a disclaimer in the last chp?? :P whoops. Here's the one for this chp and I hope u enjoy!! Here is the first instalment of the wedding anniversary…did I mention it was going to be two chps?? Hehe**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't think I want to own it anymore…I mean now that Eric is gone…sigh**_

_**XXX**_

Calleigh awoke to the sound and feel of long, even breaths on her ear. She lay on her side, his arms wrapped around her mid-section. She snuggled closer into his embrace and mumbled, "Mornin'."

He pressed a kiss behind her ear, eliciting a shiver from her, before whispering, "Happy anniversary." A smile graced Calleigh's lips as she turned to face him, "Happy anniversary, love you."

His lips met her forehead and remained there when he said, "Love you more, babe." She raised her chin and closed the space between their lips. She placed a hand on his stubble-encrusted cheek and pulled away, "Not possible." He pressed a kiss to her palm without removing his gaze from her eyes. He could lay there forever, he really could. His wife in his arms, in their spacious bed.

As he brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear he felt a surge of emotion. _Our third wedding anniversary, _he thought to himself in amazement. He never thought that they would reach here so quickly. It almost seemed as if it were yesterday that she kissed him, outside the jail. Those two kisses symbolized the beginning of their life together, because after that first kiss, not even the second, he knew that he would never be able to let her go…

_It felt good to hold his badge in his hand once again. To feel the cold, hard metal under his thumb as he ran it over the golden, bumpy surface. He smiled slightly as he pocketed the badge and exited the building, glad to be out of __**that **__place._

_It wasn't the fact that he was a cop in jail, it wasn't even the fact that he felt out of place. Because he didn't. That was the problem. He quickly became so engrossed in the fact that his father was a criminal that he began to believe that he himself was going to end up similarly. That is, until Horatio had ceased such thoughts._

_The overbearing fact that Horatio was able to get him to prove his American citizenship had changed his mind. His father had gone out of his way and had revealed his benevolent side, to save __**him**_**. **_The son he ordered a hit on, the son Eric believed he hated. This act had deeply moved Eric, and, as he exited, the main thought running through his mind was how he was going to thank him. His thoughts then, metaphorically, flew out of his ear upon seeing a familiar blonde waiting for him._

"_You missed out," she said as they closed the gap between each other. He all but ran and pulled her into a warm hug. He did not expect anyone to pick him up, in fact, he had almost expected to hail a cab, but he definitely wasn't complaining._

_She continued as they pulled apart, but still in each other's arms, "I was gonna marry you but your dad stepped in." Eric laughed at the irony but replied without missing a beat, "What makes you think that I would've said yes? Maybe I met someone special on the inside."_

"_I doubt his cooking is as good as mine," she replied. Calleigh felt her stomach flutter with excitement. This was never a topic they had touched on before. Their flirtatious banter was only playful and harmless until now. Because now, it was meaningful. She had come so very close to losing him today, and she was not about to wait for something to happen again before one of them made a move, two close calls were enough. Assuming, no her part, that he wanted one of them to make a move as well._

"_Why don't I take you back to my place and cook you a traditional American dinner, since you're new to our country," she said, finishing with a smile._

_Mirroring her smile with one of his own he replied, "Sounds good." Then he became serious. Calleigh could already hear the 'but' before it escaped his lips. "But danger has been following me everywhere I go-"_

_Calleigh did not know where this new found courage appeared from, but it did, and it took her by surprise. It was practically screaming at her to change his mind for him, immediately. Not able to think of a better way to show him that she didn't care, and that she only wanted to be with him, in such a short period of time, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his._

_Aside from the electricity she felt, kissing Eric Delko was everything she had imagined it to be and more. His luscious lips were soft against hers, inebriating her with his taste and making her body ache for more. She had no idea how much this one kiss had affected her. But much to her body's dismay, she pulled away, knowing that it was too soon to deepen it, although she really wanted to._

_Eric, still slightly dazed from the fact that she had kissed him, was surprised that he was able to speak at all, "Calleigh I'm serious, I don't want anything to happen to you-"_

_But she had cut him off again, however, the ulterior motives of her body may have had something to do with it. She pulled away first, once again, and, this time, reassured him with words that she wanted to be with him no matter what._

"_Come on," she started, turning slightly out of his arms, "I have the safest house in Miami. Do you know how many guns I have?"_

_Her playful joke evoked a chuckle from his lips as they walked off, arms around each other's waists, smiles on their faces. "You protected me, now I'll protect you."_

_Eric's heart swelled with love for the amazing woman he held. This was the most amazing moment of his life. He was with Calleigh, really with her; his smile never left his face. Only one thought remained in his head for the rest of the evening: do __**not **__let her go, not even for a second…_

"Eric?" Calleigh asked, looking into his blank eyes, "Where'd you go?" Eric blinked a couple of times, bringing his train of thought back to the present.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Go and get ready for work, I'll make you the best breakfast ever," he said before placing a lingering kiss on her lips.

"Mmm, sounds like a plan," she said, breaking the kiss. She pecked his lips once again before getting out of bed. He watched her as she sauntered into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He smiled to himself, then got out of bed, fixed the sheets and arranged the pillows before heading down the hall to wake the twins.

_**XXX**_

Calleigh stepped under the warm blast of the shower, every droplet soothing her. She ran her fingers through her wet hair and opened her eyes to reach for the shampoo. She wanted to smell extra nice today, just for Eric. After all, it was their third anniversary.

Their third anniversary. It sounded so unbelievably right to her. She and Eric, married, children, growing old together. She sighed as she massaged the shampoo into her scalp. This was the life she always dreamed of having, but feared might never come true. This was her fairytale life. The face of her prince charming remained blurry for the first part of her adult life. It had been filled with the faces of a few eligible men, whom she had become quite fond of at the time, but the picture soon became blurry once again. Then she met him.

Eric Delko.

The main reason for her existence today. The main reason her fairytale life had come true. She loved him so much that it almost pained her. He was her soul mate, and, although it took her a while to admit it, she was far from denying it now. He is the reason she lived and breathed, he is the main reason she has two wonderful and healthy children, and hopefully more to come.

As she washed the shampoo out of her hair, the memory of when they first met floated into her train of thought. This seemed to be a frequent occurrence lately, and not that she minded, because she didn't, but why that particular memory? Much to her joy, the next memory that invaded her thoughts was the first night they had made love. And that's exactly what they did, made love.

Though their feelings were not expressed out loud, their actions that night had said everything that they didn't. Calleigh remembered that night vividly in her mind, how sincere he was, how gentle and loving, and the most important, then and now, his attention to detail…

_Calleigh's hands shook slightly as she knocked on the door to Eric's apartment. Why was she so nervous? They had been seeing each other for about a month now, she shouldn't be feeling so anxious still. Nonetheless, every time Eric had come into contact with her, __**every**__ time, whether physical or verbal, she felt like a giddy little schoolgirl with a crush._

_But her feelings ran deep, way deep below the surface of what she seemed to let on. God, why does he have to make me feel this way? she asked herself silently. She would never admit it though. She would never admit this early in a relationship that she was in love. Especially not to the man that used to be one of her closest friends. The one of her closest friends that he could not bear to lose, but could not stand to not be with at the same time._

_Sometimes he just made her so confused. As the door opened, a smile crept onto Calleigh's face. Eric stood there, in low riding dark blue jeans and a black button up shirt, holding out an orchid for her. She had always thought of the orchid to be a strange flower, but beautiful nonetheless. Ever since she voiced this to Eric, he had stored it in that part of his brain to remember to surprise her at a later time. And that he did._

_She smiled as she took the flower from him and raised it to her nose, breathing in its sweet scent. "I love it, thank you," she told him quietly. He simply returned her smile and gestured for her to enter his apartment. After he closed the door he removed her jacket and hung it on the coat rack next to his. He then stood behind her and placed a hand on her back, guiding her in the direction of his living room._

_Wondering why he hadn't said a word, Calleigh paid no attention to the small details that Eric had slaved for hours to perfect. The lights were dimmed, every corner of his home spick and span, soft music playing in the background, and the most important part came last, but it was the first noticed by Calleigh._

_He had pulled the pieces of furniture in the living room back, leaving the middle open, but not bare. On the floor was a red velvet cloth adorned with candles and rose petals. On the top right hand corner was a bottle of wine cooling in an ice bucket. Opposite to the bucket was a crystal bowl of bright red strawberries and two smaller matching ones, with what Calleigh had guessed to be chocolate sauce and whipped cream._

_Her smile got even bigger, if that was possible, as she turned on her heel to face Eric who stood behind her, a smirk adorning his handsome features. A mischievous smirk appeared on her face as she lifted her hand and pointed at him, using her index finger to beckon him to her. _

_Almost immediately, he walked over and placed his hands on her hips, leaning down and kissing her on the tip of her nose, "You like it?" he asked. She leaned up and captured his lips in a small kiss. She pulled away and ran her fingers over his head, "I love it."_

_He took her hands in his and pulled them to his lips, kissing them both, and tugged on them lightly as he pulled her to sit down next to him on the cloth. He lay back and told her to place her head in his lap, which she did willingly. He then plucked a strawberry from the bowl and moved to dip it into the whipped cream, when a noise from Calleigh stopped him._

"_Chocolate, please."_

_He chuckled silently and proceeded to dip the red berry into the dark brown sauce. He lowered it to her lips, brushing it over her lips before she opened her mouth to take a bite. Calleigh moaned in pleasure and she licked the substance from her lips. Not that he would admit it, but this was quite a turn on for Eric. Sure they had been going out for about a month, but were they ready for the next step? He was more than willing, in fact, he had been dreaming about this for a while, and he was pretty sure that she wanted it too. Otherwise she wouldn't be here, eating strawberries in his lap._

_He was about to get another strawberry to feed her, when she caught his hand in hers. "Your turn," she said, voice a little husky. She sat up and retrieved a one of the berries and twirled it around in the bowl of whipped cream. She lifted it to his lips slowly, but as he opened his mouth to take a bite, she pulled her hand back, causing him to groan in frustration._

_She smiled and raised the strawberry once again, with the intent to pull it away at the last time. However, Eric would have none of that. He grabbed her by the wrist and took a large bite of the strawberry, kissing the inside of her wrist before releasing her wrist. Calleigh was still stunned by his actions, but then a thought popped into her head: two can play at that game._

_She sucked in her lower lip and dipped her middle finger into the chocolate and lifting it to her mouth, sucking all of the chocolate off, moaning as she did so. She saw Eric become visibly uncomfortable as he shifted slightly. She smirked as she pulled her finger from her mouth, but noticed that there was still a bit of chocolate at the base of her finger. _

_Unfortunately for her, Eric too had noticed this. He took her hand in his and guided it to his mouth, where his tongue darted out to lick the chocolate off, until not a drop was left. Calleigh's breathing had become ragged at the feel of Eric's tongue on her fingers, wondering how it would feel in the place that she needed it most. _

_She bit her lip as he licked off the last smudge of chocolate from her finger. But what he did next caught her by surprise. He then took her whole finger into his mouth, lavishing it with his tongue. Calleigh moaned at the feel of her finger in Eric's mouth._

_He removed her finger from his mouth, but not before giving the tip a last flick of his tongue, causing Calleigh to gasp. He smiled as he gave her back her finger._

_His smile quickly became a smirk upon seeing the look on Calleigh's face. It was a look of pure lust, frustration and excitement, all at once. Feeling quite pleased with himself, Eric manoeuvred around her and reached for the bottle of wine and the two glasses._

_Popping off the cork of the bottle, Eric proceeded to pour the dark red substance into the two glasses, handing one to her. He clinked the glasses together and took a sip, without removing his eyes from hers. Calleigh, still stunned, took a small sip from the glass, looking intently at Eric, wondering what exactly he was thinking about._

_She didn't have to wonder for much longer. Eric placed the glass down on the floor next to him and leaned towards Calleigh. Her breath became heavier when she noticed how close he was, and getting closer. He stopped, their lips millimetres apart, and took the glass from her hand. After placing it next to his he took her hand in his and raised them. He intertwined their fingers and revelled in how much they contrasted._

_Her small, thin fingers wound in between his larger ones. He smiled slightly then returned his gaze to Calleigh's green orbs. With his other hand he cupped her cheek and brushed it softly with the pad of his thumb. _

_Moving in closer he brushed his lips over hers almost tentatively, taking in her essence. She sighed into him and pressed her lips to his, not able to control herself much longer. His hand then tangled itself in her hair as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Calleigh lifted her hands until they rested on his chest, feeling his toned chest under her fingers. _

_Letting go of his hand, she lifted her other to rest upon his cheek before lowering it to join the other on his chest. Feeling a throbbing feeling in the pit of her stomach she had to give into, she pushed him slightly to lay back and she climbed on top of him. Their kiss deepened as he slipped his tongue into her warm mouth. She moaned softly as she massaged his tongue with hers._

_He rested his hands on her hips and pulled them down to grind into his, groaning at the friction between her heat and his hardening member. He raised his leg between hers and pressed his thigh to her mound, causing her to groan into the kiss. He broke the kiss and smiled at her, raising a hand to brush her hair out of her face._

_She smiled back at him, mischievously, and shifted until she straddled him. Her next actions took him by surprise; little did he know that she was debating whether or not to do it at all. She sat up and crossed her arms at her waist and balled up the ends of her shirt in tiny fists before pulling it up over her head. _

_Eric bit his lip upon seeing Calleigh on top of him, clad in a dark blue lacy bra, hair masking the left side of her face. The feeling went straight to his groin. Calleigh smirked, knowing very well what her actins were doing to him, but she wanted to know what makes him squirm. What turns him on. How to tease him. She wanted to know everything._

_Similarly, while staring at her half naked form, the only thing running through his mind was how her skin would taste. He grabbed her by the hips and held on tight as he turned them over so that he was now on top. Surprised, Calleigh let out a little squeal then started to laugh. He then pressed his lips to hers passionately, quickly adding his tongue to the mix. She gave a groan of disapproval when he broke the kiss which quickly turned into a gasp when she felt his lips attach themselves to her collarbone. _

_He nipped at the skin then lavished it with his tongue. He moved his way up her neck, sucking at her neck until he reached her ear. He took the lobe into his mouth, causing her to gasp. He nibbled at it slightly, contributing to the throbbing feeling she already had between her legs. She raised her legs and wrapped them around his hips and pulled him down on top of her._

_Detaching his lips from her ear he pressed a kiss to the back of her ear, evoking a small squeak from her lips. He smirked slightly, "I love that sound."_

_Her breathing still heavy she looked up at him and replied, "Then do that again." He smiled then returned his lips to her ear, and surely she squeaked again, causing him to chuckle. He then brought his lips to hers, kissing her lightly, opening his mouth slightly. Deciding that he had on way too much clothes, Calleigh started to unbutton his black shirt, wanting desperately to feel the contours of his muscles against her taut skin._

_She unbuttoned the last circle and broke the kiss to mutter, "Off." Eric smiled at her and said, "Gladly." He came up, towering over her and pulled the shirt off slowly. Calleigh could do nothing but stare at his toned chest, desiring to feel it with her hands, to taste it with her tongue._

_He came back down, their faces inches from the other. He paused for a moment, and brushed his nose against hers, then asked, "Are you sure?" Calleigh's eyebrows furrowed together, silently wondering why he had asked her. Her heart fluttered, wondering how she ever got such a caring, loving man. One who stopped at a moment like this to ensure that it was what she really wants._

_She answered his question silently by pressing her lips to his. He smiled into the kiss and slipped his tongue into her mouth once again, excited about what was about to happen. This was the moment he had been waiting for, that they had both been waiting for. And he was definitely going to take his time and learn every part of her body. Every line, muscle, every contour and every part that made her squirm under his touch. He wanted it to be perfect, and he was going to do anything and everything to make that happen._

Calleigh smiled at the memory. He was so gentle and caring. He attended to her every want and need. His entire focus that night was on her, and she definitely enjoyed it. She turned off the shower and stepped out onto the mat, drying herself with the cream towel.

She wanted this day to be special but she also had to talk to Natalia, she wanted to make sure everything was okay. She got dressed and made her way downstairs, knowing today was going to be a great day, and hopefully an amazing night…

_**XXX**_

_**Wow that one was long :P**_

_**I didn't intend for it to be this long, especially since it was only part one of the anniversary day but part two is going to be just as long I think. I'm going into serious detail into this day because I think that it is extremely important.**_

_**So please review!! And tell me if you want me to continue the sexy scene in another story…it'll be my first time but ill try not to disappoint :)**_

_**Love you guyzzz!! I'm out!**_


	15. Happy Anniversary pt 2

_**Heyy guyzzz!! I wanted this chp to be all fluffy and such…but what's a bit of hiphugger celebration without a bit of smut :D Hopefully that justifies me taking so long to update :P I wanted it to be perfect!! :)**_

_**Thanks sooo much to my loyal readers and reviewers!!! Special thanks to Kayla, Mrs. Duquesne Delko, MDPD CSI Detective Kat, C.H.E.A.R, CsiMiamiIzLove, for being my most loyal reviewers!! And thanks also to zurfer-csimiamifreak-girl and Paul Lyn, new reviewers but fuelled me to write this next chp XD Love you guyzzzzzzzz!! It's reaaaaaallly long btw :P**_

_**Anyways…hope y'all like it!! and PLEASE REVIEW!!! I find my story to be receiving less reviews than the one before it…and that is not very nice considering the fact that I'm getting better (aren't I?? sigh)**_

_**Disclaimer: I just want to own it for the 11**__**th**__** episode when Eric comes back as a witness so that I can make him propose to Calleigh!! XD Unless they already have that planned…hmm**_

_**XXX**_

Calleigh sighed quietly as she wrote up the reports for the case that they were working on that day. It was simple enough, cheating husband; wife shot him out of hatred and pure anger. She had used his previous bodyguard's gun, trying to pin it on him because the husband had fired him days before. However, the evidence said otherwise.

_God, I love my job, _Calleigh thought as she finished up the report. She clicked the pen and closed the folder, glad to have finished for the day. It had been a slow couple of weeks, hardly any murders, which made her job a heck of a lot easier, but she really loved working out on the field. Today, however, she wasn't complaining, she was ecstatic to be leaving early, because that meant she got to go home with her gorgeous husband and children and spend the evening with them.

Little did she know, but Eric had something else planned. As she got up long arms snaked around her and held an orchid out in front of her chest. She smiled, knowing who it was, and pulled it from his hand before turning to face him. She brought it up to her nose, looked into his eyes and whispered, "Thank you."

He mirrored her smile, "You're welcome. You done here?"

She nodded, "Yup, I'm all yours." He grinned, "Good, cuz we need to hurry, or we're gonna be late."

Calleigh then became confused, "I thought that the kids we're by mamá?" He nodded, "Yeah, they are. It's just…we just need to go and get ready, okay?" Calleigh still looked sceptical. He smiled lovingly, "Just trust me." Calleigh raised her eyebrows, still not convinced but went along with it nonetheless, knowing fully that she had nothing to lose.

She picked up the file and followed him out, planning to stop at Horatio's office to drop it off. He held the door open for her and she thanked him quietly as they walked into step with each other. Luckily, on their way through the halls they bumped into Horatio.

"Hey H," Eric greeted.

Horatio toyed with his shades in his hands, "Eric, Calleigh," he looked up, "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Calleigh shook her head, "Just giving in this report before we head out."

He nodded then took the file from Eric's hand, "Great." He opened the file and closed it before adding with a wink in Eric's direction, "Have a good night." That confused Calleigh even more. Had Eric asked for them to leave earlier? What the hell was he planning?

The couple then made their way to the break room to retrieve their belongings and then headed to the elevator. As the doors closed, Eric took Calleigh's hand in his and laced their fingers. They weren't allowed to display their affection in the workplace, but everyday as they stepped into the elevator, he would take her hand and they would walk to their car. It always made her smile, even when she wasn't aware of it. Today she wasn't.

Running through her mind were thoughts about Eric and Horatio's actions today. Yes, today was their anniversary, but why were they acting so weird? Quickly forgetting it, her thoughts then turned to her conversation with Natalia this morning. To say she was shocked was an understatement, but as she recalled the memory she couldn't help but smile.

_Calleigh opened her locker and placed her purse on the top shelf. "I'll see you later, babe," Eric said almost out the door. Knowing that he wouldn't hear her, Calleigh didn't bother to answer. As she was about to leave Natalia walked in, a panicked look on her face, Ryan behind her, a similar look on his. Calleigh's eyes then widened, "How did the appointment go?"_

_Natalia looked up, not having noticed Calleigh there. She smiled slightly, although it came out more like a grimace. Calleigh winced, "Is it bad?"_

_Natalia shook her head. Ryan then decided to leave, "I'm gonna go. I'll talk to you later, kay Nat?" All she could do was nod as he squeezed her bicep before he left. She then literally plopped herself down on the bench with a thud._

_Calleigh's eyebrows came together, "If it isn't bad then what is it?"_

_Natalia leaned down and placed her head in her hands, not able to form a coherent sentence. Calleigh sat down next to her on the bench. She mumbled something inaudible to Calleigh's ear. "What was that?" she asked._

"_I'mhavingtriplets."_

_Calleigh eyebrows shot up, "Wait. You better say that again, cuz it kinda sounded like you said you were having triplets."_

_Natalia nodded her head. "Oh my God!" Calleigh screamed, "Nat that's awesome! I'm so happy for you!" Natalia nodded once again. _

"_What's wrong, why aren't you happy and bouncing for joy?" Calleigh asked, practically bouncing on the bench next to her. Natalia continued to stare at the floor. "Sweetie, what's wrong? You're happy about this aren't you?" Natalia shrugged. That shocked Calleigh immensely._

"_Why not? You were scared about not being able to have a baby, and now you have three! Why aren't you happy?"_

_Natalia let out a breath and wiped at her eyes, trying to brush away tears that weren't there, as if she knew they were about to pour out. Calleigh placed her hand on Natalia's back and began to rub soothing circles. She opened her mouth and commented, "Nat, you can tell me anything, you know that right?" Natalia nodded. "I want to know what's going on, but I don't want to push it, so tell me when you feel ready, okay?" Natalia nodded and Calleigh got up to leave. Natalia, however, didn't want her to leave just yet, she said softly, "There's a risk."_

_Calleigh turned on her heels to look at her friend. Natalia still had her head in her hands, but her voice still echoed through the room. "What exactly is the risk?" Calleigh asked, walking over to the bench slowly. She saw Natalia let out a breath and realised how difficult this must be for her to say. "Sweetie, if you don't want to tell me you don't have to. If you're not ready…"_

"_No I have to tell you," Natalia said, lifting her head. Calleigh noticed that her mascara was running as a result of the tears spilling onto her cheeks. She guided Natalia's head to face hers and she used her thumbs to wipe away the tears. Natalia stopped her and held her small pale hands in her darker ones. She mentally cursed herself for letting herself to get so emotional at work, even her hands were shaking._

"_If I continue with the pregnancy, there is a chance that one of them might develop a disorder, or even…die," she whispered the last word, almost afraid that if she said it something might happen. As ludicrous as that may sound, to Natalia anything could happen, and she did not want to take even the slightest risk._

_Upon hearing the last word Calleigh took in a sharp breath. She cradled Natalia's hands in hers, "It's going to be okay. What do you guys want to do?"_

_Natalia shrugged, "The doctor said that we should abort one of them, but I just can't, Cal, it's just- it- I can't __**kill **__one of my children." Calleigh nodded, "But are you willing to take that risk?"_

"_Yes…no," Natalia laughed bitterly, "I don't know what the fuck to do, and its just…it's pissing me off, Cal, you know?" Calleigh smiled thinly and pulled Natalia into a half hug, her arm draped across the Latina's shoulders. She rested her head against Natalia's and said softly, "You need to think, is this really worth taking the risk?"_

_Natalia stayed quiet for the next few moments, weighing the possible outcomes. On the one hand, she risked the health and the life of one of her children, but at the same time, there is a chance that there would be no complications. Besides, Calleigh and Eric got through with Derek's condition with perseverance and proper medical care, who is to say that she and Ryan won't be able to do the same? She and Ryan were capable of overcoming any obstacle that lands in front of them, even Calleigh had said so. But was she really willing to put them in that great amount of stress? Was she really about to let her child endure such a life? Was she that selfish?_

_But a life with a medical condition is better than no life at all. Those words rang in her head as she contemplated the advantages. She would have the full family both she and Ryan wanted. They have all of the necessary resources to deal with any disorder they were faced with. She felt motivated by Derek's story, the fact that he overcame such a rare condition. She suddenly felt positive that she was able to do this. That they would be able to do this._

"_I'm gonna do it."_

"_Do what?"_

_Natalia looked up into Calleigh's eyes, a slight smile on her face, "I'm gonna go through with the pregnancy."_

As Calleigh and Eric made their way through the parking lot, Calleigh couldn't help but smile at the memory. She was overjoyed that Natalia had chosen to go through with the pregnancy, she was practically grinning all day. Eric opened the door for Calleigh. She smiled at his chivalry and stepped into the dark blue car. As she was buckling her seatbelt her eyes widened, _I forgot to tell Eric! _

Eric hopped into his seat and started the engine. Calleigh then looked in his direction, both anxious and nervous at the same time. Feeling her gaze on him he turned his head to look at her before he pulled out of the parking space. His eyebrows came together and he asked, "What? Do I have something on my face?" He ran his hand over his cheeks and lips. Calleigh began to laugh nervously, "No, it's not that. I forgot to tell you something and I'm not too sure how you'd react."

Eric only became more confused, "You'll never know until you tell me." Calleigh let out a breath, "True. Okay, here it goes…Natalia and Ryan are having triplets." Eric's eyes widened, his jaw then proceeded to drop. Calleigh bit her lip, not knowing what he was going to say next.

Eric closed his mouth then opened it again, trying to say something, but the words refused to come out. He then began to laugh. Now _Calleigh _was the confused one. She tried to put her hands on her hips, but seeing as she was sitting down, that proved to be impossible, so she settled for crossing them over her chest. "What is so funny mister Delko?" she asked, a lilt of playfulness evident in her voice. His laughter ceased and he looked at his wife adoringly, "This is the best anniversary ever."

She chuckled, "But nothing happened."

"Yet," he finished for her, "Like I said, we still have to go home and get ready." He pulled out of the spot and made his way out of the vicinity and onto the main road. "Are you going to tell me where we are going?" Eric shook his head. "Can you give me a hint?" Eric shook his head again. Calleigh was beginning to get frustrated, "What _can _you tell me then?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, then grabbed her hand in his free one before answering, "That I love you." Calleigh sighed dramatically, "How does that help me?" Eric scoffed, causing her to grin, "Love you more, babe." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it lightly, "Not possible."

_**XXX**_

She curled the ends of her hair and lifted the banana clip to pull her hair up. Calleigh always loved how banana clips looked, elegant yet they were so simple to use. She adjusted the top of her pale yellow gown, wanting to look absolutely perfect. Eric had told her to dress classy and elegantly. She had only worn this dress once, and that was to a rather classy function she went to with Jake. Now she was wearing it for her third wedding anniversary, with Eric. The man she loved and fully intended to grow old with.

Her dress was a pale yellow, but not so pale as not to notice its original colour. It had no straps, but had to curves to boost and cover her breasts. It came in to make her waist even smaller than it naturally was, then flowed down in small creases to her ankles. The waist had a small, jewel encrusted, silver belt, with a pattern bearing a resemblance to a vine, wrapping itself around her small figure.

On her wrist she had a matching bracelet. She had found it the same day she had bought the dress, seeing it in a jewellery shop on her way to her car. She spotted it out of the corner of her eye, possibly the most beautiful piece of jewellery in the display window. Despite the fact that it is not her style, she bought it, knowing how amazing it would look with the dress, and she was right. She bent down and adjusted the strap on her silver heels, ensuring its perfection. Straightening herself, she did one last look in the mirror, twirling to make sure that the dress looked as amazing as it did the first time she wore it.

Now, and she was sure she wasn't mistaken, now it looked even better. It looked better because she was more mature, and wearing it for the true love of her life. Eric. She smiled and picked up her gold clutch, opening it to ensure that she had everything she needed. Walking out of the room, she called out for Eric. "By the front door," she heard him reply.

Calleigh took in and let out a deep breath. This was the first time Eric had seen her in this dress, and she wasn't sure how he'd react. She walked down the hall and stopped at the front of the steps, looking down at Eric. He stood in front of the door in a black tuxedo and the red tie that the twins had given him for his birthday last year. She smiled at how handsome he looked, just as handsome as he did when they met. Possibly even more good looking, or maybe she was just biased.

Eric's breath hitched when he looked up the staircase. His eyes landed on his wife, looking more beautiful than ever. He had never seen that dress before, but he definitely loved how it looked on her. The dress clung to her body in just the right places and it accentuated her already full breasts. She was a walking, breathing and living dream. _His _dream, and he was enjoying every minute of it.

He was mesmerized by her slow movements down the staircase toward him. He was entranced by her intense beauty, her intoxicating smell, her vibrant aura. There as absolutely nothing about her that he didn't love. She stopped at the bottom of the staircase, directly in front of him and she smiled shyly. He smirked back and took her hand in his, brought it to his lips and pressed a soft, sweet kiss to the back of it.

Straightening himself, he held out his arm for her and she took it willingly as he opened the door and led her outside. She had no idea where she was going, nor what Eric had planned, but suddenly she didn't care. She only wanted to be with him. Eric had the same exact thought in his mind.

He opened the door for her and helped her in, trying not to alter, even slightly, the perfection of her dress. He ran around the side of the car and slipped in, knowing fully how perfect the night was going to be.

_**XXX**_

The two glasses clinked together, making and echo throughout the small, dimly lit room. Calleigh wondered how in the hell Eric had gotten into this restaurant _and _managed to get a private room. It was one of the most expensive and most exclusive restaurants in the whole of Miami. Set on the seaside, it gave the setting of pure serenity and sophistication. It was way out of their range, economically, and this is what worried her. He had gone out of his way and made a reservation in the most expensive restaurant, and booked a private room, with a perfect view of the moonlit ocean. It took her breath away every time she looked out of the large window. The stars were littered across the sky, and there were a few clouds surrounding the moon, giving it a beautiful effect.

Calleigh smiled as she took a sip of the sparkling cider, thinking about the most perfect man sitting adjacent her. She wondered how in the world she had come to find such a perfect man, knowing that her track record was less than impressive when it came to men. When that list included her father it only made it even sadder. Eric, however, made up for the whole list. He was the epitome of perfection in her eyes. Smart, kind, caring, good-looking, and loved her more than she knew.

Eric placed his glass on the table and gazed into the gorgeous green orbs of his wife. Completely enthralled by her beauty, to him, time came to a stand still in that very moment. Lost in her green pools of desire, he contemplated the last three blissful years of marriage to her. To Calleigh Duquesne. The woman he had loved for approximately five years now. He always wondered that if he had never gotten shot, if he would have had a changed perspective on Calleigh and what they could be together.

Was it strange to say that he was glad that he had got shot? Glad that it took a near-death experience to set his feelings for Calleigh straight? No matter how ridiculous it sounded, Eric _was _glad that because of it he ended up where he now. But he also didn't like that it took him to die and come back to life for him to realise his feelings. Now, however, he wouldn't change anything.

He then stood up and walked around the table to Calleigh, hand outstretched. She smiled and placed her hand in his, standing up slowly. He backed up until they were in a free space, then music started to play softly. Confused for a moment, Calleigh looked around, trying to locate the origin of the beautiful and sensuous music. She quickly gave up upon feeling Eric pull her closer into his arms.

She raised her hand to his shoulder and rested her head on his other. As they moved to the music Eric's thoughts went to how the rest of the night would play out. They were having the most amazing dinner in one of the most exclusive restaurants, they were dancing in the most romantic setting he had ever thought of, and they were so deeply in love it amazed him. Sometimes he just wondered how in the world he had got Calleigh Duquesne to be his one and only. He had loved her more than anything in this world, but to have her love him back was just the icing on the cake.

He pulled his head back just slightly and looked at her in the eyes, pouring out all of his emotions through that one gaze. His face inched slowly toward hers, almost hesitantly, before he touched his lips to hers. The kiss, fully intended to be chaste, quickly turned passionate as she parted her lips and slipped her tongue into his warm mouth. She moaned slightly as he fought her tongue with his while rubbing his thumbs on her lower back.

Then, the door opened and the waiter entered with their tray of food. Eric broke the kiss, albeit reluctantly, and rested his forehead against hers. "C'mon," he whispered, "the night has only just begun."

_**XXX**_

Calleigh climbed out of the car and took Eric's hand in hers. After dinner he had led her back to the car. At first, she thought that he was going to take her home, but her thoughts became frantic upon seeing that he missed the turn. She was curious and anxious for the next twenty minutes they spent in the car until he finally stopped at a small but homely house near the coast.

She squeezed his hand, which resulted in his face turning to face hers. She opened her mouth to speak, but he placed his index finger to her pink lips, effectively shutting her up. She furrowed her brows together, but was reassured when he removed his finger and replaced it with his lips. The kiss did not last long, much to her dismay, but as he pulled away he gestured for them to enter the house.

They made their way up the stone path, slightly difficult for Calleigh in her heels, but she had a feeling that everything would soon be worth it. As they reached the front door, Eric opened the door, but what he did next took Calleigh by surprise. He bent down and lifted her into his arms, one arm behind her knees and one around her shoulders. She responded by wrapping her arms around his neck, her eyes wide. A chuckled escaped her mouth as he closed the door with his foot and made his way though the dimly lit house.

He walked down the hall and Calleigh craned her neck to see an open doorway, seeming to be the only one open in the hall. "Where are we?" she asked quietly. "That's for me to know and for you to find out," he replied cryptically. Calleigh rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to respond only to be cut off by his lips on her hers. As they broke the kiss Calleigh noticed that he had stopped walking.

She turned her neck and gasped at what she saw. In the room was the perfect re-creation of their first night together. The red cloth on the floor, the strawberries, the chocolate, the whipped cream, the wine and on the middle of the carpet lay a single orchid on its side. He let her down gently and she walked toward the rug, a hand over her mouth. She leaned down and picked up the orchid, then turned on her heels to face him. He walked up to her and took her into his arms, "I thought what better than to re-create the most perfect moment of our lives?"

Calleigh grinned and tiptoed to place a kiss on his lips. She pulled away slowly, "I love it. Thank you for making this the most perfect anniversary ever."

He moved in closer and brushed his lips over hers. "So far," he whispered before closing the gap between their lips. Calleigh moaned softly as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, knowing that they would not have any need for the aphrodisiacs he had carefully placed on the floor. She kicked her shoes off as he moved his hands to the zip on the back of her dress. She dropped the orchid to the floor and proceeded to push his jacket off his shoulder, temporarily stopping him from undressing her. Without breaking the kiss Eric pushed them back until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed.

Both of them still standing he slid the pale yellow garment off of her body and kissed her more hungrily than before. He could never get enough of her mouth, of her taste. Although there were other places he definitely preferred to taste. He ran his fingers over her bare chest, brushing lightly over her nipples, causing her to gasp into the kiss. His hands then slipped down her toned stomach to grasp her hips and pull her flush against his body.

She started to unbutton his white shirt and slid it off his shoulders, revealing his toned chest. She broke the kiss and started to kiss down his jaw and neck to his chest. She nipped and licked his bare chest causing his pants to feel tighter with every swipe of her tongue. He nipped at his skin until she reached his stomach. She ran her tongue over his stomach slowly, attempting to taste every inch of his oh so delectable body.

She reached the waistband of his pants and took his belt between her teeth, pulling it out slowly. She smiled upon seeing him shift slightly after her mouth brushed over his throbbing member. She used her hands to undo the rest of his belt and pulled it out. She then unbuttoned his pants and pulled his zipper down with her teeth. Unable to take anymore Eric pulled her up and pressed his lips to hers while lowering her down onto the bed.

He ran his hands down her body until they stopped at her black-laced panties. He continued to kiss her as he pulled them down tantalizingly slowly. She moaned and lifted her hips, making it easier for him to rid her of her last article of clothing. He broke the kiss and threw the panties behind him onto the floor. He smiled at her as his gaze travelled down her body, taking in its beauty. He lowered his lips to her jaw and began to nip lightly. He kissed his way up her jaw to her ear and placed a light kiss behind her ear causing her to squeak. Knowing how she would react he chuckled and took her lips once again, teasing her slightly as he moved his hands slowly up the inside of her thighs, deliberately avoiding the place where she needed him most.

_**XXX**_

_**Hehe sorry about the abrupt ending but this is still rated T :P Hope you guys enjoyed the two-part anniversary date :) The next chp is going to be about the twins and their night by their abuelos :) Should be up pretty soon…so please review!! The more you review the faster I update!! **_

_**Love you guyzzz!! And can't wait til tonight!! Eric's back for this epi!! Hope there are plenty hiphugger scenes! XD**_


	16. Kids day out

_**Heyy guyzzz thx soo much for the amazing reviews!! They really fuelled me to write this next chp :) Special thx to Kayla, Mrs. Duquesne Delko, Liphuggers, Paul Lyn, CsiMiamiIzLove, Singingchick18 and writer cat!! :D**_

_**I decided to make this chp about the twins' day rather than their evening. It's not going to be as long as the previous two…but it's different from what I've tried to write before. Thx for ur support and reviews!! XD**_

_**Enjoy this next one!!**_

_**Disclaimer: this just applies throughout the whole story cuz I'm getting tired of saying that I don't own it…sigh**_

_**XXX**_

Lizzie opened her eyes slowly and rubbed them with her tiny hands. She let out a long yawn, satisfied with the long night's sleep she had accomplished. She stretched and sat up, but not before noticing her father in the room, waking up Derek. He lifted him into his arms and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. Lizzie smiled and said, "Papí." Eric turned around and smiled at his little girl. He walked over to her bed and lifted her into his free arm. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a sloppy kiss to his cheek causing him to chuckle.

"Good morning to you, too, mija."

He then exited the room, with the two of them in his arms and descended the staircase. "Coaster, papí, coaster!" Eric smiled at Derek's request. Ever since he had been the one to wake then up on a morning, he used to take them down the stairs, in both arms and pretend they were going down a rollercoaster. Lizzie and Derek thought of it as the highlight of their day, however, that quickly changed as the day progressed.

Eric chuckled and lifted them both a little higher onto his waist, making sounds that a typical rollercoaster would make. He threw them around his body, keeping them secure in his arms. The twins seemed to enjoy this ritual immensely as they demanded it every morning from their papí. Eric enjoyed the happiness of his children, so doing it was not a difficult task for him, especially not today.

The twins knew that today was a special day, but only because Eric had informed them the previous night…

"_Okay, so do you guys understand why you're going by abuelo y abuela mañana?" Eric asked, switching effortlessly to Spanish. The twins nodded, but Lizzie responded, "Abuelita is coming fow us after school, sí?"_

_Eric nodded his head, "You got it, princesa."_

_Lizzie grinned then turned to face her brother, "Seepover by abuelita!" Eric chuckled at her excitement and her mispronunciation of words, which both he and Calleigh thought to be utterly adorable. Derek soon jumped up from the floor and started to jump up and down with Lizzie, not quite understanding her excitement, but feeling to be energetic that night._

_Eric sighed and looked at his children, tonight was going to be ridiculous to get them to sleep…_

Eric set the two down in their chairs in the kitchen. Calleigh had asked for him to install two booster seats next to the island in the kitchen, because the never really made it to the dining room to eat meals unless it was a special occasion. He quickly installed them and two other chairs for him and Calleigh. Every morning Eric would get the kids and he would make breakfast with the two watching him intently.

This morning Lizzie was watching Derek instead. Noticing how his eyes followed every one of Eric's moves intently. He seemed to be purely amazed by his father. Lizzie smiled, then looked at her father as well. Watched in amazement as he prepared something he normally wouldn't. Their eyes followed his figure as he walked from the fridge to the stove, to the sink, to the stove once again, and back to the fridge. Neither knew what he was making, but neither of them could wait.

_**XXX**_

"Mamí!" Lizzie exclaimed as Calleigh rounded the corner into their room. "Hey baby," Calleigh said, lifting her into her arms, "Ready for school?"

Lizzie nodded her head vigourously. "But Dewek not weady yet," she informed Calleigh in a serious tone. Calleigh could not help but chuckle at that before looking over to he husband, who was trying, unsuccessfully, to dress Derek. Both girls giggled as Derek wriggled out of Eric's arms and ran across the room and sat on his bed.

"Babe, you want some help?"

Eric stopped and looked at his wife, who just shrugged nonchalantly. Eric shook his head and replied, slightly out of breath, "No, I'm gonna get him, don't worry."

Calleigh bit her bottom lip, holding back a laugh and nodded. Derek smiled mischievously at his father as he saw him approaching slowly, like a tiger about to pounce on its prey. He stood on the bed, ready to evade the hunter's attack. Eric approached slowly, calculating the possible results of his 'attack'. Derek grinned and jumped up and down on the bed, clapping his hands, almost taunting Eric. Calleigh and Lizzie watched on, amused looks on their faces as the scene played out in front of them.

Eric leapt forward onto the bed, only to have Derek jump to the side, land on his pillow and slide off the bed as Eric recollected himself. Calleigh burst out laughing and clutched Lizzie closer in her fits of laughter, trying not to drop her. Lizzie squealed and laughed as well, clapping her hands to applaud Derek. Eric sat on the bed, defeated and propped his elbows up on his knees, resting his head in his hands.

Calleigh fought back her laughter upon seeing her husband's position, "You sure you don't want my help anymore?" Eric's head shot up, and he gave Calleigh a glare that could kill, if possible. Calleigh giggled and rested Lizzie in his lap. She then turned to face Derek who stood on the opposite side of the room, a smug grin on his face.

"Okay little guy, you're goin' down."

Derek placed his hands over his mouth and giggled. "Oh, you think that's funny do you?" Derek nodded, the grin still evident on his face. Calleigh's eyes narrowed, "Well then you're about to have some pretty bad luck, mister Delko. Cuz I am significantly faster than your old man over there." A sound of disapproval came from behind Calleigh, she knew it was from Eric, so she giggled.

She spread her legs and her arms, motioning for Derek to make the first move, which she knew he wasn't going to make. Derek's eyes twinkled with excitement and anxiety as he realised how skilled his opponent really was. She approached him slowly at first, taking each step with caution and ease. She then took two quick steps forward, causing him to jump and laugh with excitement. She smiled as a result and continued her slow and steady approach. She got closer and closer to Derek's excited form as he jumped up and down in the same spot excited.

"Go mamí!"

Derek's eyes wandered from his opponent to Lizzie, who had uttered the distracting two words. Calleigh took this opportunity and grabbed him by the waist and lifted him in the air, causing him to laugh out loud. She brought him back down and blew a raspberry into his bare belly, which evoked a loud squeal from his mouth. Calleigh smiled and shifted him onto her hip and walked over to the bed.

"Now, where's your shirt, mijo?"

_**XXX**_

After Calleigh and Eric had dropped the twins off at the day care the first thing Lizzie had done was run to the corner with the Bratz and Barbie dolls. She had a friend there, Kani, who also loved playing with the dolls there. Neither girl's parents would allow them to bring their dolls to the day care, for fear they would be forgotten or lost, so the girls had become pretty attached to the dolls there.

Kani had taken to the tanned, Hispanic doll, who she named, Isabella; while Lizzie had taken to the blonde doll, who she called, Mariposa, her favourite word at the time. The two friends would sit there at the table in the back and brush the dolls' hair, dress them and re-dress them countless times, and take them to the 'mall'. It is safe to say that the girls had a fun filled day until snack time came around.

"Kids! It's snack time! Go and get your lunch kits!" Miss Chelcie would shout across the room, causing the children to often squeal with joy and run to their cubbyholes. Lizzie and Kani, usually the last to get their lunch kits, were the first to the cubbyholes this time, simply because they had agreed to switch snacks and lunches today. They quickly grabbed their kits and walked back to their table in the back, where they proceeded to empty the contents. Lizzie pulled out apple slices in a plastic bag, and another with a single chocolate chip cookie. She smiled then looked at Kani, who pulled out a bag full of seedless grapes and a small packet of Oreos. They promptly switched snacks and began to eat.

On the other side of the room, Derek sat on the end of a long table with his new friend Tony. They both pulled out their snacks, and began to eat as well. Derek's new friend both surprised and excited his parents, because the day he started talking to Tony, he immediately informed his parents of everything the moment he saw them.

_Derek sat on the floor beside his abuelo, and pushed his toy truck forward and back on the wood. "Voom voom," he said. Pavel smiled slightly, silently thanking God that Derek seemed to be progressing so quickly. He watched in admiration at his grandson, admiration for who he is and what he has overcome. For such a young boy to overcome such a huge hurdle in life shall never cease to amaze Pavel._

_He looked up and saw Lizzie playing with her doll on Clorinda's lap. It was her favourite doll, one that Pavel had purchased for her on his last trip to Cuba. It was a unique doll, one without a brand, but was beautiful nonetheless. Ever since he had given it to her she had become extremely attached to it, and he was glad._

_The front door then opened. "Hello?"_

"_In here, mijo," Clorinda answered._

_Eric and Calleigh then came around the corner into the living room. Derek then jumped up and ran into Eric's legs. Eric chuckled and lifted him up, "Hey buddy, what's up?"_

"_Made a new friend, papí!"_

_Eric's eyes widened and he grinned upon hearing those words come out of Derek's mouth. "Really?"_

_Derek nodded his head vigourously, "Yea, his name is Tony, he is awesome." Eric had to chuckle at the last word, because it came out more like "Awthum". _

_Eric turned to face Calleigh, who was grinning from ear to ear. "That's great, Der, really great." _

_**XXX**_

After snack time came the special day that all of the children looked forward to. Every Thursday was movie day at the day care. They would all sit on the carpet in the middle of the room and watch a movie that the teachers picked out. Today, it was Derek and Lizzie's favourite, _Finding Nemo. _Upon miss Chelcie announcing the title of the movie Derek and Lizzie squealed with joy. They jumped up and down and ran to the carpet, dragging their new friends behind them.

After the movie had finished, it was time for lunch. Once again, Lizzie and Kani had traded lunches, Lizzie having a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and Kani having a hotdog. The two girls chatted animatedly about everything they could think of while eating their lunch. But the main topic of their conversation was Lizzie's sleepover tonight.

"I'm seeping over by abuelo y abuela tonight," she informed Kani. Kani had no idea what 'abuelo y abuela' meant, but since Lizzie was excited she was happy.

"I've never been to a seepover, but heard it's fun," Kani said. Lizzie nodded. Then a grin broke out on her face, "I gots an idea! What if you seepover by me?"

Kani smiled widely and nodded her head, "Yea! I'll ask momma when she comes!" The two friends could not help but smile for the rest of the day.

_**XXX**_

Derek looked up from the building blocks he was playing with and saw two familiar faces. He smiled and jumped up from his seat. "Abuelo! Abuela!" he shouted as he ran towards them. Pavel chuckled and lifted him off the floor into his arms, hugging him.

"Hello, my baby," Clorinda said, ruffling his hair playfully, "Where's tu hermana?"

Before Derek could reply, Clorinda's legs were attacked by Lizzie, "Abuela!"

Clorinda smiled and knelt down to Lizzie's eye level, "How was school, cariña?"

Lizzie smiled and said, "We watched Nemo!" Clorinda smiled, knowing that it was the twins' favourite movie.

"Why don't you go and get your stuff, we have your bags in the car already," Pavel said to Lizzie who nodded. He set Derek down and he ran after Lizzie to retrieve their belongings while Clorinda and Pavel signed to confirm that they were picking up Lizzie and Derek today.

Less than three minutes later the twins returned, lunch kits and schoolbags in hand and the four exited the building.

The moment Derek and Lizzie were placed in their car seats they began to talk about their day. How much fun Lizzie had playing dolls with Kani. How Derek wants to get blocks for Christmas. How excited Lizzie was at the idea of Kani spending the night by them. The loving grandparents smiled in the front seats, glad that they had lived to see this day.

As they approached the house Pavel asked, "How about pizza for dinner?"

The response he got was more than enough. Lizzie and Derek screamed upon hearing that they were getting something other than a home-cooked meal for dinner. Calleigh and Eric knew that their jobs had indeed called for some fast food meals and frozen dinners, but after having the twins they knew that such a lifestyle needed to change.

Thus, every morning, Eric would prepare a healthy and nutritious breakfast, and every evening, Calleigh would prepare a home cooked meal for dinner. They would occasionally indulge in a little fast food when they were too exhausted to cook, but that was rarely.

After telling their abuelo what they wanted on the pizza, they pulled into a small pizza place and ordered. Deciding that they were going to eat at home, they placed the pizza in a box and quickly drove home.

_**XXX**_

Somehow, the twins had convinced Pavel and Clorinda to allow them to eat and watch a movie in the TV room. Now, they were all seated on the floor, watching _Shark Tale, _the twins' second favourite movie. Eric had joked, saying that his children belonged in the water, which only made everyone laugh as the twins started to protest.

The movie had just finished and the twins were starting to fall asleep there on the floor. Clorinda led them upstairs, "Go brush your teeth and meet me in the bedroom, okay?" She received two tired nods in response. She chuckled as she entered the spare bedroom and pulled out their pyjamas. As she placed them on the bed, they came in the room, half asleep on their feet.

After getting them dressed, she tucked them in. "Where's mamí?"

"She's out with daddy," Clorinda replied, trying to keep their whereabouts covert. She did not want to be the one to tell the twins about where they were or what they were probably doing.

Much to her dismay, Lizzie just probed even further, "Out where?" Clorinda sighed, "They are out having dinner, they will pick you up tomorrow morning."

"But dinner doesn't take all night," Lizzie said, stretching out 'all' to emphasize her point.

"For them it does," Clorinda replied under her breath. She then spoke up, "Go to sleep, cariña. The faster you go to sleep, the faster morning will come."

Lizzie pulled the covers up to her chin and closed her eyes, "Kay, night abuela."

"Goodnight, my darling," Clorinda said as she flipped the switch and exited the room.

_**XXX**_

_**Okay…so I never wrote anything like that before. And it was kinda hard to channel my inner three year old :S lol**_

_**Anyways…plz review!! :) they make me happy!! Love u guyzzz!!**_


	17. Love is a beautiful thing

_**OMG I AM SOOOO SORRY!!!! School has me really busy and training everyday isn't helping…so here's my update :) Hopefully yall r still reading this story :( lol**_

_**Okayy so I know it's a little late to post a Christmas chp…(okay really really late) but I couldn't help but write about the twins' first Christmas :)**_

_**I wanted to keep it a surprise so that I could keep the joy from Christmas alive cuz, personally, it's my fav holiday ever. Anyways thx for the reviews for the previous chp :D You guys rock! **_

_**Here's the next chp, hope you guys enjoy it!! :)**_

_**Disclaimer: if I owned it Eric and Calleigh would have been engaged by now :P…so I obviously don't own it…sighh**_

_**XXX**_

Lizzie was the first to wake up that morning, a huge smile on her face. She got out of bed and ran to Derek. She shook him gently and whispered, "Derek! Time to wake up!" Derek opened his eyes slowly and looked up at his sister. He smiled slightly and rubbed his eyes while sitting up.

He jumped off his bed and Lizzie immediately grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room and down the hall, towards their parents' room. She turned to him and put a finger to her lips, "Shh." Derek nodded with a smile on his face and watched eagerly as Lizzie slowly but quietly opened the door. The tow tiptoed into the room and stopped at the bottom of the bed. Derek climbed up first, then turned around to lift his sister onto the bed. They proceeded to crawl up the bed to toward the sleeping forms.

"Wake up!"

"Merry cwistmas!"

Eric and Calleigh were curled up together under the blankets so tightly that another couple could have fit on the bed. Why they had bought such a big bed was a mystery to both of them, but neither complained, saying that it went well with the room. The two loud and eager voices echoed throughout the room and woke their sleeping parents.

Eric shot up, head turning from side to side quickly, trying to locate the source of the outcry. When his eyes landed on his children he smiled and pulled them closer to him and his wife, now sitting up as well, "Merry Christmas to you, too."

Lizzie crawled into Calleigh's lap and wrapped her arms around her neck. She placed a wet kiss on Calleigh's cheek, "Merry cwistmas, mommy." Calleigh smiled and looked into Lizzie's green eyes, she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and rubbed Lizzie's cheek with her thumb, "Merry Christmas to you, too, sweetie."

"Time for pwesents?" Derek asked eagerly, all but jumping on Eric's lap. Eric chuckled and nodded his head, "Sí mijo, you guys go ahead, mommy and I will be down in a second." Derek nodded and jumped off the bed, Lizzie took her time and came off the bed slowly and they both left the room, but not before Lizzie gave her father a lingering look to which he smiled.

Calleigh's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion but she brushed it off, thinking it was nothing. Eric shifted in the bed and turned to face his wife. He leaned in closer and pressed a kiss to her lips, "Merry Christmas, babe."

"Mmm, you, too," she replied, breaking the kiss. The pair then got out of bed and walked downstairs, hand in hand and entered the living room, where the twins sat awaiting their parents. Eric sat on the armchair and pulled Calleigh down onto his lap. Calleigh smiled and signalled for the twins to begin opening their presents.

The tree had even more presents underneath than the previous year, which at the time, Calleigh had Eric had thought to be an impossible feat. Beneath the tree lay what seemed to be between thirty-five and fourty presents, most of them for Derek and Lizzie. The twins wasted no time and immediately picked up their respective presents and began ripping the wrapping paper off.

About twenty minutes later, the living room floor was littered with all kinds of shiny, Christmas themed wrapping paper and ribbon, with its contents scattered somewhere in the middle.

"Okay, guys, you know what to do next," Calleigh said as they were finished. Derek jumped up and left the room while Lizzie collected as much wrapping paper in her hands as she could. When he came back in, he had a garbage bag in his hands, in which Lizzie placed the wrapping paper she had collected.

Once they were finished Calleigh had taken the bag and placed it out in the large bins in the back. When she re-entered the living room, Eric and the twins were waiting in the middle of the room, hands behind their backs. Eric stood behind the two of them, hands on their shoulders. Calleigh ran her fingers through her hair and looked on as the twins walked towards her, hands still behind their backs.

"What's goin' on?" Calleigh asked, her southern accent slipping through. Lizzie and Derek stopped right in front of her and looked up at her. She stooped down to their eye level and looked at them, with a curious look on her face.

"Feliz Navidad, mamí," they both said in unison and they brought their hands around to reveal a small box and an envelope. A grin crept onto Calleigh's face as she took the gifts from her children.

"Thanks, you guys," she said, kissing their both on their cheeks. Lizzie giggled and stepped back and Derek joined his sister, an equally large smile on his face. They stood and watched eagerly as Calleigh opened the box, revealing a set of diamond earrings. Her head shot up and her eyes landed on Eric, who had a sheepish smile on his face. Her mouth was agape as she took a second look at the gorgeous jewels that lay in the box.

Although they were simple, they were Calleigh's style, and Eric knew it. However, Calleigh also knew that the earrings were expensive judging by their size and karat. She opened her mouth to protest, but Eric cut her off with a noise of disapproval and motioned for her to open the other present. She lifted the envelope and began to open it slowly, not knowing what to expect.

Her eyes widened and a squeal of delight escaped her lips. She bounced slightly on her feet before running and jumping into her husband's waiting arms. He laughed and pulled her into his body as she pressed kisses to his neck and law before pressing a lingering kiss to his lips. He pulled away, "I take it you like it?"

"You know I love it," she said as he placed her on her feet.

He smiled, "Merry Christmas." She smiled at him and kissed him once more.

_**XXX**_

"You guys ready?"

Lizzie and Derek nodded as they were pulled from their car seats. "Don't forget to give abuelita her present, okay?"

Lizzie and Derek nodded and ran up the path to the front door, where they were greeted by Clorinda. She bent down and pulled them both into a hug, "Feliz Navidad, cariños."

"Merry cwistmas, abuelita," Lizzie said as they broke the hug.

Carmen straightened herself to kiss her son on his cheek, "Feliz Navidad, mijo."

"Y tú, mamá," Eric replied. Calleigh then walked up the path to the door, "Merry Christmas, mamá."

"And you, Calleigh. I love that dress on you, mija, you look lovely."

Calleigh blushed slightly and straightened her red sundress. It was a thin-strapped flowy dress that ended right below her knee. On her feet were red flats, not usual for Calleigh, but she knew that the twins would force her to run a lot today, so she came prepared.

"Gracias," she replied.

"Oh, come on in, everyone is out back, the tables are already set up." Calleigh and Eric nodded and nudged the twins inside the door. The two children ran through the house in the direction of the back yard, leaving Calleigh and Eric to chuckle at their excitement.

"Pavel is waiting for you out back as well, mijo."

Eric nodded and kissed Calleigh's cheek before heading outside. Calleigh smiled, then returned her gaze to Clorinda, "Do you need any help in the kitchen?"

Shaking her head, Clorinda replied, "No thank you, but you can go outside and help Ana finish decorating and setting up."

Calleigh nodded and walked outside. As she stepped out of the large doorway she was met by the bright Miami sun along with children attacking her legs.

"Tía Calleigh!"

Calleigh regained her balance, laughing and bent down to the eye level of her attackers. "Hey guys, Merry Christmas."

"Feliz Navidad!" Miguel said animatedly while pulling Calleigh into a huge hug. Calleigh chuckled as she let him go, only to be pounced upon by Marisol, Ana's daughter, named after their late sister.

"Merry Christmas, Mari."

"Feliz Navidad, tía Calleigh," Marisol responded, "I gots a pretty doll."

Calleigh grinned as Marisol revealed the Barbie doll she was hiding behind her back. "Oh, she's gorgeous, honey."

Marisol grinned and nodded, skipping away to the other group of children, all playing in the new swing set. Calleigh smiled at the over excited children as she made her way over to a very pregnant Ana, attempting to pick up a plastic plate from the grass. Calleigh bent down and picked it up, "Need some help?"

Ana chuckled, "Thanks, chica. How are you?"

Calleigh smiled, "I'm pretty good. The twins had a ball this morning, only to come here and get even more presents."

Ana smiled apologetically, "That's what it's like cada año, I thought you would have gotten used to it by now." Calleigh shrugged.

"So what do you need help with exactly?"

Ana shook her head, "Nothing for now, just waiting for the guys to finish cooking so we can eat."

Calleigh nodded, "So when are you due?"

"In January, pretty soon, but I feel like I'm going to pop any minute."

Calleigh laughed, "I thought you would have gotten used to _that_ by now, though. I mean how old are Miguel and Mari?"

"Miguel is nine and Mari is five."

"And you're not used to being pregnant yet?" Calleigh laughed.

Ana smiled widely, "No, I'm used to it, but each time is different, but you wouldn't know that."

Calleigh shrugged, a smile still on her face. Ana raised an eyebrow, "Is there something you're not telling me, chica?"

Calleigh shrugged once again before walking over to her husband, seated on a plastic chair, talking to his mother. He smiled and took her hand in his, pulling her down onto his lap. She laughed out loud before falling onto him. He smiled and pulled her in for a short kiss, she pulled away and smiled.

"You know," he said, "I still haven't gotten my Christmas present from you."

Calleigh pursed her lips in thought, "You know, you're right."

A few moments passed before Eric spoke once again, "Am I going to get it any time soon?"

"Oh you want it now?" Calleigh asked, feigning ignorance, but not very well judging by the grin on her face.

"Yes, please," Eric said, grinning. Calleigh smiled at him, realising then how much he resembled Lizzie, their smile, strong facial features, their laugh.

She pecked him on his lips and walked off. Eric smiled as he watched her retreat into the house, wondering where in the world she had kept the gift. He turned back to find his mother looking at him intently.

"Qué?" he asked, eyebrow cocked.

Clorinda smiled sweetly, "Nothing, mijo. Nothing at all."

_**XXX**_

Calleigh's hands trembled as she made her way around the house, clutching the elongated box tightly in her right hand. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, like a lion trying to escape its cage. She stopped in the kitchen and stood over the sink taking a few breaths to calm her rising heartbeat. Feeling slightly less nauseated she let out one last breath and walked out of the kitchen, into the living room and through the door.

As her foot touched the grass, however, her heartbeat increased once again. She heard it pounding in her ears. Like someone was pounding drums inside her head. Taking small steps she slowly made her way over to her husband, his back facing her. She raised a shaking hand and tapped his shoulder.

He turned on his heel and as he saw her he began to smile. Seeing him smile, Calleigh couldn't help but smile as well as she put the long box into his hand. She tentatively bit her lip as he brought the box up and lifted his other hand to open it. Then it happened. The moment she had anticipated for the past couple of weeks since she had thought of the gift. His eyes widened as he saw the contents of the box. Without thinking, he dropped the box and lifted his wife into his arms and spun them around, laughing giddily. Calleigh tightened her arms around his neck as he spun her, knowing that she would soon feel nauseous, but didn't really care.

Clorinda watched as the scene unfolded before her eyes, smiling as Eric lifted Calleigh off the ground and proceeded to twirl. But she could not stop thinking about what had made him so happy in the first place. She stepped forward and bent down, picking up the box that her son had carelessly dropped. She gasped as she saw the source of her son's joy. The one thing she knew he wanted, the one thing he desired, the one thing he needed so badly.

A positive pregnancy test.

_**XXX**_

_**Hehe I just loooooved writing that ending :D**_

_**Please review if you're still reading this :) Love all of you hiphugger fans…and cant wait til the next epi Eric is in**_

_**(btw when is that??)**_


	18. Reassurance

_**Heyy guyzzzzzz :) I am sooo unbelievably happy for the Calleigh and Eric scenes in their last epi…I was grinning the whole time haha :P**_

_**Anyways…I decided to make this more of a filler chp…the last few chps r going to be all fluff all the time. (which makes no sense because the whole story is practically fluff…but oh well :P)**_

_**Here it is! Hope you guys enjoy!! Review plz!!**_

_**XXX**_

Pain. Fear. Anxiety.

All the wrong emotions were running through Natalia at this moment. At nine months pregnant she was due to go into labour at any moment, but right now, something was wrong. Something with the babies. She could feel it in her bones.

She winced as another sharp pain hit her insides, probably her kidney once again, where one of the babies frequently kicked. At first she dismissed it as normal, but then the pains became frequent, too frequent. They also became more painful with every passing moment. She should not be in this much pain, but was labour supposed to feel like this?

_No, _shethought, _the pains are too acute. _

She bent over once again, the pain almost unbearable this time. She groaned and placed her hand above her swollen belly, hoping and praying to God that the babies were okay, they had to be okay. The pain was excrutiating. Like someone was ripping her body apart from the inside. She slowly felt her insides convulse as she dropped to her knees on the carpeted floor. She hissed as her knees hit the floor, groaning at the added pain that came with the contact.

Her breaths soon became shallow, quickening as the pain increased. She could not do anything. In too much pain to move, Natalia collapsed on her side, still clutching at her stomach. She screamed out as another wave of pain engulfed her whole body, almost sending her over the edge. She had a higher tolerance for pain than a normal woman, but this pain could cripple even the most tolerant _man_.

She winced in pain once again as the pain began to subside, but not for long. The moment everything seemed to be slowing down, the moment she thought she had regained at least a fraction of her strength, a sharp pain hit her side. So sharp that she could not move her legs, the pain was too much for her to handle.

"Ryan…" she whispered, not able to speak any louder.

She knew that he was not home, but she also knew that he was due home any minute. She had to stay awake. She had to fight the overwhelming darkness that threatened to engulf her entire person. No matter how inviting it looked, how promising, a land free of pain and suffering, she could _not _give up. She had to fight for her children, for Ryan, for herself.

Her eyelids became increasingly heavy, and the pain slowly ebbed away all of the strength and will power she had left. As the front door opened, they closed slowly, all of her strength now depleted.

The next time they opened she saw bright lights passing in front of her eyes. She squinted to adjust to the light, while hearing frantic voices around her. From what she gathered, one was telling the others what to do, sounding impatient, while a familiar one seemed to be talking to her. She closed her eyes, trying to escape the chaos surrounding her.

Then, everything went silent. But only for a moment.

She slowly opened her eyes, but immediately regretted it. She was suddenly met with yet another wave of pain and nausea, this time to her lower regions. She moved her head slightly to see her legs spread apart, and a head looking intently at the source of her extreme discomfort.

She groaned and her head fell back against the bed with an audible thud. She then felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see her husband staring back at her, concern in his eyes. Her brows furrowed together, why was he jus standing there? Why wasn't he doing _something? _Her eyes closed once again as she winced in pain.

Her grip tightened with every passing second, parallel to the increasing pain in her womb. Her head lolled to the side as she lost her remaining strength and her eyes landed on Ryan, simply staring at her from the sidelines, still not having moved even an inch, a blank look on his face. Her breathing soon became difficult and she was unable to speak to her frozen husband. Unable to call out to him. Not even able to say his name.

Her mouth felt so dry as if filled with cotton. She mouthed his name, trying desperately to say it out loud, to call him over to her. His form then slowly retreated into the darkness behind him, leaving her alone. _No, _she tried to scream. She held out her hand, trying to grab him, but he was too far, and almost gone…

Natalia jerked up, her breathing laboured, sweat trickling down her face, heart racing. She placed her hand over her heart and looked to her side where Ryan lay on his stomach, sleeping peacefully. Part of her was relieved that it was only a dream, but another part, a fairly larger part, was terrified at the thought that the dream might become a reality. She glanced at the clock and noted that it was a bit too early to wake Ryan, but she also knew someone who should be returning from their morning jog right about now.

_**XXX**_

Calleigh stepped into the house and closed the door behind her. The best part about living in this neighbourhood was the safe environment that she was able to run in, and the scenery made it all the more perfect.

She entered the kitchen and opened the fridge, taking out a bottle of water. As she took a sip she felt two hands encircle her waist. She smiled and capped the bottle, placing it on the island in the middle of the room. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Before she could say anything, he bent down and kissed her hard, tangling his hand in her hair, pushing her head closer to deepen the already passionate kiss. Feeling confused, but not complaining, Calleigh slipped her tongue into his mouth, loving the small moan she got in return. She never got tired of his taste, the one that never ceased to amaze her. The two lost themselves in the kiss, exploring each other's mouths without abandon. But soon, the need for oxygen became too much to bear. Reluctantly, Calleigh broke the kiss, seeing small dots as she opened her eyes to gaze into Eric's.

She smiled and rested her forehead against his. "What was that for?" she asked softly.

He smirked, "So what, I can't kiss my wife now?"

Calleigh giggled, "Yeah, but it's kisses like _that_ that contribute to our current situation."

Smirking, Eric placed a hand on her still flat stomach, caressing it gently with his thumb, "And what if I like our current situation?"

"Then you should continue kissing me like that," Calleigh responded simply.

Leaning down slowly, their lips inched closer together, Eric's hands glued to her hips. The shrill ring of Calleigh's cell phone broke the intimate moment, causing Eric to groan.

"If you answer that I'll kill you," he said as she reached to the waistband of her pants for her phone.

"It's Natalia."

"Why is she calling you at this hour anyway?" he said, attaching his lips to her neck.

Calleigh shrugged, "She wouldn't call at this hour if it weren't important."

Eric groaned against her neck and pulled away, "Fine, but you better make it up to me later."

Calleigh chuckled and pressed her lips to his quickly, "Of course, babe."

As Calleigh answered her phone, Eric walked out of the room slowly. "Hey, Nat, what's up?" she answered.

"_Hey, Cal, are you busy?"_

"Nope. You sound shaky, what's wrong?" Calleigh asked out of concern.

"_Umm, I- shit, Ryan just woke up. I'll tell you later, okay?"_

"I'll make sure of it. See you at work."

"_Yea, bye."_

The click at the end of the call only heightened Calleigh's nerves all the more. She knew that it took a lot to make Natalia worried, so it was definitely something big.

She let out a sigh and looked at her watch. It was time to wake the twins for day care. Another day in the life of Calleigh Delko had only just begun.

_**XXX**_

Natalia paced in the locker room in the crime lab, waiting anxiously for Calleigh to arrive. She knew that she had to tell someone how she felt, or she was going to explode onto someone unexpected, and she could not deal with that happening. Especially if she had told Ryan, which she hadn't. She had sneakily avoided the subject all morning, asking and commenting about meaningless things to Ryan. She knew that she should at least tell him something, but she felt like she couldn't. Physically, mentally or emotionally…she just couldn't.

She continued to pace, going through the possible reactions she might have. She had no idea what Calleigh would say or do, and this made her worry all the more. Letting out a breath, she sat down on the bench and placed her head in her hands, her elbows propped up on her knees. She ran her fingers through her hair and tapped her fingers nervously on her leg.

The door to the locker room then opened, and Natalia's head jerked up, hoping that it was a familiar blonde. Much to her dismay, it was a familiar face, but not the one she had wanted to see.

Ryan entered the room, seeing his wife looking distressed and anxious. He sighed and walked over to her. He knew that something was bothering her, something that must be really horrible to make her worry the way she was. He sat down on the bench and placed a hand on her knee, "Nat, what's going on?"

"What are you talking about?" she asked, removing his hand from her knee and standing up.

Licking his lips, he replied, "Something's bugging you, Nat, I know it." He paused, noting how she neither denied nor agreed with his statement. He shook his head and stood up, "How am I supposed to help you if you don't let me in?"

He placed an arm on her elbow and gently turned her to face him. He looked into her eyes, brimmed with tears. This took him by surprise. He had seen her cry before, but this time it was driving him mad. When she had cried before he knew why. He knew how he could help her, how to make her feel better. But now…now he had no idea what the hell to do, and it drove him absolutely crazy.

He sucked in his lower lip and tried to control his emotions, not wanting to take it out on her, despite the fact that she was the source of his frustration. "Look, I'm your _husband, _Natalia. I'm here for you, whatever the case may be. So, please, let me in."

Natalia shook her head, fighting back the tears. This terrified her so unbelievably much, it was almost unbearable. The very thought of losing a child, _her _child, because she wanted to take a chance, it made her want to weep for days. It made her want to curl up in a corner and marginalise herself from the world, far away in an isolate place, and just sit there, wallowing in self-pity. Because it would be her fault…everything…all of it. Her fault. If she hadn't been to damn selfish, if she had thought about someone else but herself. If she had just weighed the consequences with the advantages, they would not be in this situation.

Natalia opened her mouth, needing desperately to say _something. _She just had to say the one thing that was bugging her, and right now she didn't care who heard, but there was a nagging voice in her head that said not to rant to Ryan, because he was the one person she wanted to talk to rationally about the situation.

The doors to the room opened once again, interrupting Natalia's upcoming rant. Calleigh walked in, purse in hand, cell phone in the other, looking intently at the screen. Natalia let out a breath of relief. _Finally, _she thought. She appeared in the nick of time, and Natalia had never been more grateful.

Calleigh looked up from her phone and saw the couple, Ryan's hand on Natalia's elbow, Natalia looking at her, her lower lip sucked in. Ryan's eyes were on his wife, a look of concern in his eyes.

"Calleigh," Ryan said evenly, "can you give us a moment, please?"

About to consent, Natalia interrupted Calleigh, "No, I need to talk to Calleigh about, um, something really important." She directed the last few words at Calleigh, her eyes pleading with her to agree and to help her in her attempt to make Ryan leave.

Unwillingly, Calleigh looked away from Natalia and at Ryan, "Yeah, she's right, sorry, Ryan."

Ryan, looking slightly agitated but also hurt nodded his head and left the room silently. Feeling bad for making him leave so abruptly, Calleigh shot Natalia a look. Natalia put up her hands in defense, "I have a good reason, I swear."

"You better had," Calleigh replied, moving to her locker and opening it.

"I think that I made the wrong choice."

Calleigh placed her bag on the shelf then turned to her friend, eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "About what?"

"About the triplets."

Calleigh paused, hand hovering over her purse as she straightened it on the shelf, "What? Why? Is something wrong?"

"I-"

"What, Nat? Is something wrong with the babies?" Calleigh's voice became frantic.

Natalia's heart rate increased and her breath shallowed. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't do this. She had to get out of here, she had to leave, she had to get _away. _

She mumbled a simple, "I'm sorry," before making her exit, Calleigh shouting after her. She knew that she shouldn't have left Calleigh hanging like that, but she really could not handle where the conversation was going. She _had _to escape. She placed a hand over her heart as she all but ran through the halls of the crime lab, but much to her dismay, she bumped straight into her boss, the red-headed wonder.

"Horatio I-"

"Miss Boa Vista, are you okay?"

Natalia let out a breath, she was almost fed up of hearing that question all day long. "Nothing, Horatio, I'm fine."

Horatio raised his eyebrows and looked at her skeptically.

Natalia relented, "Okay, so everything's not fine, but I-"

"Does it have to do with your pregnancy?"

Natalia's eyes widened, neither she nor Ryan had had the guts to tell their boss about her pregnancy, knowing that they needed all hands on deck in the lab for the current case they were working on. It was taking them quite a while to solve, but the suspect was a lot cleverer than they had anticipated.

Because of the lack of labour, Natalia had thought it best to postpone telling Horatio the news, knowing that he would not allow her to work on any serious cases during her pregnancy. But Natalia would have none of that. She and Valera were the best DNA team anyone could ask for, so the lab could not afford to lose even one of them in this critical time. So for Natalia to find out that Horatio had known all along made her flabbergasted.

"How-" she stopped herself from asking that question, knowing very well the look that would ensue. The famous 'I know everything' look from Horatio. Natalia often wondered if he practiced that look daily, for it never failed to work, even on Eric and Ryan.

"Let me ask again. Natalia, are you okay?"

"No, she isn't," a voice replied from behind her.

Natalia turned to find Calleigh walking up to the two of them. "Calleigh I-"

"No, Natalia," Calleigh interjected, "I know you well enough to know when you're lying to me."

Natalia sighed in defeat, bringing her hands up to pinch the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

Horatio spoke up, pulling his shades down from his hair, "I think, that you should deal with whatever is bothering you miss Boa Vista, and I think that Calleigh should help you."

Natalia nodded, knowing that her arguing with Horatio would serve no purpose. "Cal, can we talk during lunch?"

Calleigh nodded, "I'll come and get you and we can go out."

_**XXX**_

Calleigh fell back into the seat after hearing Natalia rant for a good five minutes…literally. Her eyes were wide and her bottom lip was sucked in, a nervous habit of hers. She leaned forward and brushed her empty plate to the side, propping her elbows up on the table in the now empty space.

"Just explain this to me, why can't you tell Ryan?"

"Because he would freak out, and I don't want him to feel like that, it was _my _decision anyhow. My _stupid _decision."

"Hey," Calleigh soothed, "Everything's going to be okay. Stop focusing on what could happen and what might happen and deal with what is happening, the present is all that matters right about now, okay?"

Natalia nodded, "I made a doctor's appointment for after my shift, can yo- would you come with me, please?"

Calleigh nodded, lips pressed into a thin smile, because she was also as terrified as Natalia at what could happen, and she did _not _want it to end that way.

_**XXX**_

After work, the two women headed to the doctor's office, both in Calleigh's car, as the two couples were to have dinner together that evening. They sat in the examination room, awaiting the doctor to return with the test results of the many tests she had run upon Natalia's demand. She wanted to make sure that her children were safe.

Just then, the door opened and the doctor came in, peering into a manila folder, an unreadable look on her face. Natalia's heart raced, she hoped to God that there was nothing wrong. The doctor then looked up at the expectant mother, a small smile on her face.

"The babies are just fine, missus Wolfe," she said.

Natalia breathed a sigh of relief, "So every test, the results were…"

"They were all negative, your babies are very healthy, and should be due in the next five to six months. You should expect to gain quite a bit of weight, though."

Natalia smirked, "Joy."

Calleigh took her hand, "See, I told you they were fine."

Natalia nodded in agreement, but winced slightly as she received the bill for the doctor's bill, including all of the expensive and unnecessary tests she had the doctor run. Despite the fact that she had learned that the babies were okay, Ryan was definitely not going to like this.

_**XXX**_

_**Review plz!!! :D**_


	19. All good things come to and end

Heyy guyzzz…sooooo sorry for taking forever to update but I really couldn't find the right ending for this fic. I decided to make it a two chaptered ending, so hopefully you all like it!! :) It's set about five and a half months in the future. And to clear up some stuff: in Nat's dream she was nine months pregnant, but she is actually only four, well not in this chp cuz im going into the future (crazy futuristic music) lol

_**Once again, sooo sorry for the wait…the next chp will be up by the end of the wk seeing that I have exams coming up and I'm almost finished with it! **_

_**We're nearing the end…sigh**_

_**Enjoy!!**_

_**Disclaimer: Sighh…do I even have to answer??**_

_**XXX**_

"No! Want purple! Purple!"

Calleigh sighed and leaned over as much as she could, her protruding belly making it slightly difficult. She looked at her little girl, who seemed to be having a small temper tantrum.

"Sweetie, they don't have purple."

"Want purple!" Lizzie shouted once again. Calleigh looked around, seeing the eyes on the two of them, she did not want to create a scene, but Lizzie was making that difficult. She looked to her side to Natalia, now looking _extremely _pregnant at nine months, with an almost exasperated look on her face. It was a Saturday and both families had decided to have a girls and guys day out, Natalia and Calleigh taking Lizzie out, Ryan and Eric taking Derek.

They had gone to the spa, Lizzie ecstatic about getting her first pedicure. Now they were in the mall to get some ice cream, but Lizzie seemed to be less than thrilled that she couldn't get what she wanted.

"Hey Lizzie," Natalia interjected, "Why don't you look and see which flavours they have, then you can pick one, okay?"

Lizzie still continued to pout, but soon gave in. She lifted her arms to Calleigh who pulled her up onto her hip to let her peer at the seemingly endless flavours presented. Lizzie's eyes widened at the amount of flavours before her and they darted from left to right, from flavour to flavour, as she searched for the one that she wanted.

Suddenly, she squealed and jumped in Calleigh's arms, almost causing her to fall, as she pointed to the one she wanted. Cotton candy. Calleigh chuckled a bit at her enthusiasm before placing her order. She placed Lizzie on the floor and gave her the ice cream cone once it was ready. She bounced up and down as she enthusiastically licked the ice cream, smearing it on her lips and cheeks in the process. Natalia grinned at her, finding it incredibly adorable, but also knowing that Calleigh and Eric would have a hyper active child to deal with this evening.

The girls had decided to take a walk in the park next to the mall while eating their ice cream, seeing as it was a beautiful day out, and so that Lizzie could burn some of that extra sugar induced energy out on the jungle gym.

Calleigh and Natalia sat on a shaded bench, watching as Lizzie climbed up the ladder to slide down the swirled slide over and over. Natalia chuckled, "Doesn't she ever get tired of that?"

Calleigh shook her head, a smile on her face, "Once she gets excited, she just can't stop. Soon she'll be asking me to push her on the swing for about ten minutes before wanting to go back to the slide again."

Natalia smiled at her friend, noticing how well she knew her daughter. She watched as Calleigh's eyes followed every move Lizzie made, almost in a trance. She knew that Calleigh and Eric would do anything for the twins, whatever was best for them. Even if it didn't seem like the best thing to do at the time, it always turned out better. Natalia almost envied that about the couple. They had become so wise and knowledgeable about how to raise children that she had rarely ever seen them make a mistake. They, to her, had the perfect lifestyle.

They were still very much in love, secret glances and moments still stolen, they had a large loving family, Calleigh's family getting more involved with each passing day, and they had two healthy, smart, beautiful children, with another on the way.

Calleigh turned her head, catching Natalia staring intently at her, a ghost of a smile on her face, "That's kinda creepy ya know."

Natalia chuckled, "Sorry."

"What were you thinking about?"

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Natalia answered, trying to avoid answering the question, but Calleigh knew better than that. She gave Natalia a skeptical look, eyebrow cocked, green eyes sparkling and a slight smile on her face. Natalia relented and let out a breath before answering.

"I kinda envy you."

Calleigh's brows furrowed in confusion, "How?"

Natalia smiled, "You have the perfect life."

Calleigh scoffed lightly, but Natalia continued, "No, I'm serious, Cal, you do. Your love life is still hot, you have the most adorable children, caring family, great job, I jus- I don't see what's wrong with it."

Calleigh looked at her friend and smiled, placing her hand over Natalia's, "Trust me, babe, you'll get your happy ending, too." Natalia smiled softly and squeezed Calleigh's hand. Their attention then refocused on Lizzie, beckoning for Calleigh to come and push her on the swing. Calleigh chuckled and got up, leaving Natalia behind to watch and hope that her life would be as perfect.

XXX

Eric smiled at his son as he placed the large helmet on his head, chuckling as it fell forward, covering his eyes. He pushed it back and took the bat from Ryan and handing it to Derek with a smile on his face.

"You remember what to do right?"

Derek nodded his head enthusiastically. Eric grinned and walked with him to the stand holding the small white ball up. He told Derek to wait a moment, walking back to a safe distance.

"Go ahead," he said, smiling at his son's eyes, sparkling with excitement. He had taught Derek how to hold and swing a baseball hat a while ago, promising to take him to the baseball park and teach him how to hit one. When Calleigh and Natalia had suggested and girls and boys day out he took this as his opportunity to finish the lesson. He remembered Derek's enthusiasm when he told him what they had planned to do.

They had spent most of the morning tossing around the baseball, teaching Derek how to throw and catch the ball properly in the mitt. As lunch had arrived quickly they took a break to eat a couple of hotdogs before heading out to the baseball diamond to teach him how to bat. Derek had been bouncing the whole time.

Now, Derek stood, bat in hand, ready to show his dad how hard he had been practicing. He put the bat above his shoulder, the way his dad had showed him and focused on the small ball in front of him. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he swung the bat as hard as he could, hitting the ball straight on.

Eric, standing about ten feet away, stood in awe as he watched Derek hit the ball pretty hard for a toddler. The ball came straight to his chest, his hands moving up to catch it with ease. He looked to Ryan, a similar look of amazement on his face as his gaze drifted from Eric to Derek, bat in hand, a smile on his face.

Eric walked over to his son and lifted him into his arms, "That was great, mijo! Have you been practicing?"

Derek nodded his head in agreement, eyes still sparkling with excitement. Eric kissed the top of his head and placed him back down. He put the ball back on the stand and gestured for his son to take another shot as he stepped to the side. He gestured for Ryan to catch the ball. Derek smiled but it soon disappeared as his face became hard with concentration. He swung once again, with equal force and Eric watched as the ball flew away. Ryan moved to the left to catch it, but tripped and fell on the grass in the process. Eric looked at him, a huge smile on his face.

"Need some help there, Wolfe?" he asked sarcastically.

Ryan glared at him, but the glare softened quickly, "Looks like you got quite the little athlete on your hands there, Delko."

Eric grinned and placed his hand on top of Derek helmet affectionately. He was so proud of his son, especially after everything he had gone through in his short life. But he knew that Derek would have a bright future ahead of him, no matter what he wanted to do.

He caught the ball from Ryan and set it on the stand once again, standing back and watching his son with pride and respect.

XXX

Calleigh helped Lizzie into her car seat, buckling her up tightly before climbing into the driver's seat. After putting on her seat belt, she pulled her car out of the parking spot and began the drive home, hoping that Lizzie would soon fall asleep, after having spent a good hour in the park.

"I wonder how the guys' day went," Natalia spoke up.

Calleigh shrugged, "Derek probably dragged them all over, but Eric had promised to take him to play baseball so I'm pretty sure that's where they went."

Natalia smiled, "I hope Eric didn't let Ryan play."

Calleigh glanced at her, "Why?"

Natalia chuckled, "Let's just say that I didn't marry Ryan for his athletic abilities."

"Which are?"

"Next to none."

The women shared a laugh, Natalia clutching at her stomach mid laugh.

"Ow," she said.

"What is it?" Calleigh asked, playful banter gone.

"Nothing, I jus- Ahh," she groaned in pain.

"Okay, hold on, I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Cal," Natalia said softly.

Hearing her tone of voice, Calleigh comforted her friend, "Everything's going to be fine, Nat. I promise."

She took Natalia's hand in hers glancing at her for a brief moment, not brief enough. For as they were crossing the intersection Natalia's eyes widened, because as she looked at Calleigh she saw the truck barreling towards them.

The crash was loud, echoing through the eardrums of the passengers. The BMW swerved in circles before hitting a light pole stopping it in its tracks. A car horn broke the silence, the loud, blaring sound piercing the evening sky, putting an end to a once a peaceful day.

XXX

_**Sorry about the cliffy…but I thought it was a good idea. Please don't hate it!! :)**_

_**Review and tell me what you think!! Oh and I might add an epilogue after the last chp, which should be up by Friday for the latest…cuz it's almost done: D**_

_**Cant wait for ur reviews!! xx**_


	20. Lucky

Heyy guyzzz :) So I decided to make this the last official chp, but ill put up an epilogue pretty soon cuz I wanna go into the future teenage lives of the twins :P For some reason it fascinates me and I really want to write on what I think they should be like :)

So here's the next chp…hope you guys like!!

Disclaimer: once this story line hasn't happened you know I don't own it…

XXX

"What do you think the girls did today?"

"Probably went to the spa or something," Eric answered.

"Really? Calleigh doesn't seem like the spa kinda girl," Ryan shrugged.

"Trust me, Calleigh never resists an opportunity to be pampered," Eric said as he pulled into the driveway.

Eric got out of the car and opened the backseat. He lifted his sleeping son out of the car seat and walked down the path to his house, Ryan in tow with the bag of baseball paraphernalia. He unlocked the door and motioned for Ryan to place the stuff in the twins' toy room while he put Derek down to sleep.

As he walked back down he found Ryan in the living room with his cell phone to his ear, eyes wide. His phone fell from his hands, landing with an audible thud on the carpeted floor. He watched as Ryan fell forward, moving to catch him before he hit the floor. He held him up and positioned him to sit on the recliner in the room.

He went into the kitchen and filled a glass with water and returned to the room, Ryan still in the chair, not having moved an inch. He offered Ryan the glass, which he took almost robotically, lifting it to his lips and emptying the glass in a matter of seconds. Eric took the glass from him and placed it on the floor. He turned back to look at Ryan, worried.

"Who called?" he asked.

"The hospital."

Eric's eyes widened and how bluntly Ryan had replied. "What's wrong? Is Natalia okay?"

Ryan shook his head, his hands covering his eyes as he tried to form his next sentence. Unfortunately only scattered words came out.

"Accident…surgery…babies…Calleigh and Lizzie…"

Eric's breath hitched and became hollowed with each word that Ryan uttered. He fell back onto the floor, brain trying to comprehend the news just relayed to him. The only word that remained in his head, though, the loudest and most obvious word was: go. Go to the hospital. Go to his wife and child. Go to the side of one of his closest friends. Just go.

He pushed himself up and sprinted up the stairs, returning with Derek in his arms. He moved to Ryan's side, "Come on, Ryan. Let's go!"

Ryan, still in shock, could not process anything at that moment in time. Eric, however, would not take his shock for much longer, "You better get your ass up Wolfe, or I'm going to carry you to the car!"

That certainly shook Ryan out of his trance, as he blinked a couple of times and stood up, following Eric out of the house and into the car.

Eric drove like a madman. It was a shame he didn't have the siren on him, then he would actually have the permission to speed through the streets and red lights like a maniac. He pulled into the hospital parking lot and parked haphazardly before scrambling out of the car and getting Derek, rushing a sleeping toddler and Ryan into the building. He approached the front desk with increasing speed, nearly bumping into it in the process.

"I'm here to see my wife and daughter, they were in a car accident with my friend, his wife," he pointed to Ryan.

"Name?" she receptionist asked emotionlessly.

"Calleigh and Elizabeth Delko and Natalia Wolfe."

Just as Eric spoke their names, a doctor spoke up, "Are you mister Delko?"

Eric turned on his heels to look at the woman and nodded.

"And you're mister Wolfe?"

Eric nodded once again, "Do you know anything about our wives and my daughter?"

She nodded and motioned for them to take a seat in the waiting room. Eric and Ryan followed her, sitting adjacent to her in the waiting room. She wasted no time in updating them, "Missus Delko sustained injuries to her right leg and arm, and has few lacerations on her face, she lost quite a bit of blood, but she and her baby should be fine. Elizabeth fractured her left arm but should be fine as well."

Eric let out a breath, he opened his mouth to ask to see them, but remembered the man next to him, still very much in a trance.

"What about Natalia?" Eric asked, speaking up for Ryan.

The doctor let out a breath and began, "Due to the trauma of the event, missus Wolfe went into labour in the ambulance."

Ryan closed his eyes and his head sank into his hands, propped up on his knees. With his free hand, Eric placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Is she okay?" he asked, almost tentatively.

"She was unconscious at the time and suffered a pretty large laceration to her left side, so we had to prep her for a C-section, which is where she is now. She is in the capable hands of the best neo-natal surgeon in Florida, she is in good hands."

Eric nodded, but felt numb. He was torn between offering much needed comfort to his friend and checking up on his wife and child. He knew he should be with Calleigh and Lizzie, but Ryan was really fragile at the moment…

"Can he go and see Calleigh and Lizzie?" Ryan's voice broke the silence.

Eric wanted to turn toward him to argue, but his head turned to the doctor who looked at him, "Yes he can, they are both in the same room in recovery. I can take you there if you want?"

Eric did not answer quickly, but as he was about to speak, Ryan cut in once again, "Go and see them Eric, I'll be fine."

Eric nodded and looked at his friend empathetically, "Thanks, man. Call me if you find out anything, okay?"

Ryan nodded, "Go, tell Calleigh I'm glad she's okay, and give Lizzie a kiss for me."

Eric smiled and turned to walk off with the doctor, glad that his family was okay, but also praying for Natalia and her babies. He watched as the doctor, he was yet to know her name, stopped in front of a pink door, looking at the chart on the front of the door in a little pocket. She then turned to look at him.

"This is it," she said with a small smile.

"Thank you," he said truthfully, "for everything."

She smiled bigger and shrugged before walking off, "It's my job."

Eric shifted a still sleeping Derek on his hip and opened the door. He felt a sense of déjà vu as he entered the room to see Calleigh lying there with her eyes closed. Her chest moving up and down steadily allowed him to release a breath he held in. His eyes then drifted to the bed next to hers, where his little girl lay. She, too, was asleep, her hand in a small pink cast. He smiled, knowing that she probably picked that out herself.

He placed Derek down on the bed next to Lizzie, loving how the two looked as they slept next to each other. Despite their different hair and eye colour, Lizzie and Derek were very much twins. Their facial structures were almost completely identical, their noses just like Calleigh's. Derek got Eric's smile, big and warm, while Lizzie got Calleigh's smile and her stubborn attitude. Eric had to smile every time he saw the two of them together, they were inseparable. Every time they were together, playing or watching a TV show, or even during their evening naps, they refused to be separated. Today was one of those rare days when they were apart, but they much preferred being together.

His gaze then drifted to his wife, still asleep. His eyes raked over her form, taking in her injuries. Her right leg was up in a sling that hung from the bar attached to the bed, her right arm in a pink cast, identical to Lizzie's, her forehead and cheek bandaged with surgical tape and gauze.

He ran his hand down her uninjured cheek, brushing her cheek gently with the pad of his thumb. He then sat in the chair next to the bed and took her left hand in his, kissing the knuckles before setting it back down on the bed. He rested his head on the bed, his hand covering his mouth, tears stinging his eyes. Soon, he let the tears flow down his face, letting all of his emotions overwhelm him for just a moment. The fear, the anxiety, all flowing out of him with the tears, quickly replaced by gratitude and joy that his family was alive.

He then felt a small hand on the back of his head. Lifting his head up, his eyes met those familiar green ones gazing back at him. He smiled slightly, "Cal."

"Hey."

He stood up and leaned over her to give her as much of a hug that her position would allow, burying his face into the crook of her neck.

"I was so worried," he mumbled against her skin, pressing a soft kiss there.

"I know," she replied, putting her hand behind his head once again, "I'm sorry."

"For what? This wasn't your fault," he replied, pulling away from her, but keeping his gaze locked with hers.

She sucked in her bottom lip and broke the gaze, tears filling her eyes, "It is my fault, Eric. I was driving, not Natalia. And now she's in surgery and-"

"Cal," he interrupted her, "you had a moment where you didn't pay attention, that happens to everyone."

He placed his hand under her chin, turning her head to face him, "I am so glad that you're not the one in surgery. No matter how selfish that sounds, it's how I feel. I hope and pray with everything that I have that Natalia and the triplets will be okay, but, for now, you're okay…you and Lizzie are okay. And that's all that matters."

He rested his forehead against hers as tears poured down her cheeks. His hand held the back of her neck and he closed his eyes, trying his hardest to console his hurting wife.

"Mamí?"

Calleigh turned her head to see her little girl waking up. She smiled, grateful that she was awake.

"I'm over here, Lizzie."

Lizzie sat up in the bed and looked at her parents, a look of confusion adorning her small face.

"Mamí, you okay?"

Calleigh smiled through her tears and nodded, "I am now, sweetheart."

Lizzie removed her covers carefully, trying not to wake her brother, and climbed down. She walked around the bed to Eric, who lifted her onto his lap, pressing a kiss to her curly locks.

She then pulled away from him and held up her injured arm, "I got a pink cast papí! The lady said it's 'cuz I'm a big girl."

"That's right, mija, you are a big girl."

Lizzie then cautiously leaned onto Calleigh's bed to press a butterfly kiss to the side of her head.

"Better now, mamí?"

Calleigh chuckled at the innocence of her little girl. If only it were that easy, she thought, but, instead, she replied, "Yeah, sweetie, all better. Thank you."

Lizzie grinned, "De nada."

Both parents chuckled at that, Lizzie then yawned and leaned back into Eric's chest. "I'm tired, papí."

"That's because you had a long day, mija. Come, let's put you back to bed."

He placed her under the covers and kissed her forehead gently, "Sweet dreams, cariña."

Before he could return to his seat, his cell vibrated in his pocket. It was a text from Ryan saying that Natalia was okay and to meet them in the room down the hall.

"Ryan just texted me. Natalia is fine, but-"

"Go," Calleigh instructed him, "Go, come back and tell me how they are."

Eric smiled and kissed her lips, "Get some rest, querida, you must be exhausted."

"Mhmm."

Eric exited the room after taking a second glance at his family, all asleep. He walked down the hall to see an attractive redhead in a lab coat, exiting a room.

"Excuse me?"

She looked up from the chart she held in her hands and flicked her short hair out of her face, her piercing blue eyes meeting his.

"Do you know which room Natalia Wolfe is in?"

She smiled, "Yeah, this one. I just finished her first post-op check up."

"So she's okay?" he asked, almost tentatively.

She nodded, "She and the babies will be just fine."

Eric breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you so much, doctor…"

"Montgomery, Addison Montgomery."

"Thank you, doctor Montgomery."

She smiled and walked off, leaving Eric to himself in the small corridor. He was so unbelievably grateful that everyone was okay. So happy that everyone was alive. He silently thanked God for the obvious miracle he just performed and opened the door, feeling incredibly lucky and blessed.

XXX

And that is the not so official end to Little Bit Of Love! :) Sooo sad that it's finished already, but 20 chps seemed long enough. I'm going to miss writing this fic so much…especially the twins. Cuz I can write Eric and Calleigh fluff all the time but the twins were special…sighh. I have an idea for them…but you wont see anything on that for another little while. At least not until my exams are done :D

Hope you guys enjoyed this fic…the epilogue should be up by tomorrow afternoon, I'm almost finished with it…want it to be absolutely perfect :)

Ooh and I don't own Addison Forbes-Montgomery, unfortunately those lucky bastards at ABC do…

Please review!!! Love you guyzzz!!!


	21. Epilogue

Heyy guyzzz. I feel soooooo horrible cuz I told u that this chp would be up by Friday…and i'm only now updating :S In my defence I am in the dead middle of exams and they r driving me absolutely nuts!! I HATE this!! Plus I got into this huge argument with my mom and i'm just really annoyed right now…

_**But this is cheering me up so please review!! This is the epilogue of Little Bit Of Love, and with this chp the story comes to and end :( I'm gonna miss writing this soo much…sighh**_

_**For this chp I decided to delve into the future of the twins, cuz they really interest me and I wanted to see where exactly I would put them in life :P **_

_**Anyways…here it is!! Hope you guys like it!! Please review!! (me saying that must get pretty annoying so just do it already! :P)**_

_**Enjoy!! :)**_

_**XXX**_

_15 years later…_

"Derek! You are so immature! Give me my phone!"

Derek smiled evilly and took refuge on one side of the couch, "Sorry Liz, can't do that."

Lizzie groaned and ran around the couch, only to have Derek do the same. He grinned and continued to look at her phone, pressing buttons and going 'Ooh' a few times.

Just then, Josie entered the living room. At fifteen years old, the youngest Delko stood quite tall at five feet ten, getting her height from her father, who constantly teased Ryan that his youngest daughter was taller than him. She had dark brown curly hair, a slender build and light brown eyes that almost looked green, depending on what colour she wore.

"Josie! A little help here!" Lizzie shouted.

Josie glanced at her older siblings and rolled her eyes. "It's your birthday, can't you give her a break, Der?"

He looked up at his little sister, flicking his blonde hair out of his face, "Nope."

"Sorry, sis, to think that turning eighteen would force him to grow up…" she continued to mumble as she exited the room.

Lizzie narrowed her eyes at her brother, getting an idea. She crossed her arms over her chest and spoke up, "I guess you don't mind me telling mom about Sophie, then?"

At that, Derek's head shot up, "You wouldn't."

Lizzie quirked a brow, "Wanna bet?"

Derek narrowed his eyes and waited a second before tossing the phone to his sister, "I'll get you, and soon."

Lizzie scoffed, "Fat chance."

Derek left the room grumbling, leaving Lizzie with a grin on her face as she enjoyed her new phone.

"Lizzie?"

"Yeah, mom?"

Calleigh entered the room, cordless phone in hand. The years had merely fazed Calleigh, her blonde hair now accompanied by silver, her petite frame still intact, wrinkles now adorning the sides of her mouth. Eric had once teased her, saying that she should have listened to him when he said to stop frowning, but she only responded by jabbing him in the ribs, just as powerful as she would have years ago.

"Adam's on the phone."

Lizzie shot up off of the couch and took the phone from her mother's hand, making a quick exit. Calleigh chuckled as she returned to the kitchen to help her husband.

Unfortunately for Eric, the years had taken quite the toll on him. His stomach, once flat was now slightly protruding, a result of beer and lack of exercise, and covered by the light blue polo shirt. His head was now shaved; the combination of the gray hairs and the length of the hairs gave him more of a 'homeless person look', as stated by Lizzie. He looked at his wife and smiled, his fingers grazing her hip as she walked past him.

Eric pulled the trays of food from the oven and placed them on the counter, while Calleigh continued to ice the two cakes. As she finished she paused, gazing at the cakes with a tilted head.

"I still can't believe they're eighteen already," she said with a sigh.

Eric smiled and moved behind her, placing his hands on her bare shoulders. He pressed a kiss to the back of her head.

"I know," he whispered into her blonde locks, "I feel really old."

"_Feel _old?" Calleigh chuckled.

Eric scoffed lightly, "Well not everyone can age as gracefully as you."

Calleigh turned her head so he could get a full view of her cheeky and cocky grin. He shook his head and placed a lingering kiss on her lips, only to be interrupted by the doorbell.

"That's Nat and Ryan."

Eric groaned, "They always knew how to ruin a good moment."

Calleigh swatted his arm lightly with a smile and left to answer the door.

"Hey guys!" she said as she opened the door.

"Hey, Cal," Natalia said, kissing her on the cheek, "Ryan and Andrew are parking the car."

Calleigh quirked a brow causing Natalia to laugh, "Ryan is _showing_ him how to park."

Calleigh laughed softly before letting them in, "Come on in. Hey Sophie, Kani."

"Hey aunt Calleigh," the girls replied, each embracing her before heading inside.

"Why don't you help me outside?" Calleigh asked.

"Eric taking a break after working for ten minutes?"

Calleigh shot her friend a look, "Do you even have to ask?"

XXX

Lizzie lay on her bed eyes on the ceiling as she talked to Adam, her boyfriend of two months, "What do I get for my birthday?"

"_How are you so sure I got you something?"_

Lizzie smiled playfully, "Because it's a rule."

"A 'rule, huh?"

She nodded, "Yup. You have to get me something."

"_Hmm…guess I'm gonna have to go shopping before tonight then."_

Lizzie scoffed, but he quickly responded, "_Don't worry, I already have your gifts"_

Lizzie smiled, "Wait, 'gifts'? As in more than one?"

"Mhmm, although one isn't wrapped."

Lizzie's smiled widened, "I definitely can't wait to see that one, then…"

XXX

"Hey."

Derek swiveled in the chair to see Sophie, leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, smirk on her face. Part of her face was hidden by her straight light brown hair as it cascaded down her shoulders. Her bangs stopped right above her almond shaped brown eyes. He wore grey skinny jeans and a deep green graphic tee, with black and green high tops.

"Hey," he replied with a smile of his own.

She pushed off the wall and closed the door to his room. Turning around, she walked over to him and sat in his lap, swinging her legs over the side of the chair, arms locked around his neck. She leaned in and kissed him softly, whispering, "Happy birthday."

He smiled and kissed her more fervently, opening his mouth immediately. They soon broke apart, foreheads touching. He then said, "When do I get my birthday present?"

Her cheeks flushed and she caught her bottom lip between her teeth, "You don't get to open that until later."

Later, of course, referred to the party that he and Lizzie were having with their friends, after a small one with their family. Derek fully intended on sneaking away with Sophie some time in the night, seeing as it was in their backyard.

He pouted and she giggled, moving to get off his lap, only to be pulled back down. She made a noise of protest that quickly disappeared as he attached his lips to her neck. She smiled, but they were soon interrupted by Calleigh's voice, "Derek! Lizzie! Sophie, Kani and Andrew are here!"

This caused Derek to remove his lips from her neck and Sophie to clammer out of his lap and stand next to him.

After a moment she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. He looked at her questioningly, "What's wrong, babe?"

"No," she said, "You don't get to call me 'babe'. I'm tired of hiding like this, Derek."

Derek hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face. He sighed and looked at her, ""What do you want me to do, Sophie?"

"I want to tell them! I mean we've been hiding like this for too long. Besides, how much longer can Lizzie and Kani keep this a secret?"

"Kani knows?!"

Sophie let out an exasperated breath, "That's what I _tried _to tell you last night."

Derek grinned sheepishly, "Sorry, I guess I kinda distracted you…"

"Ya think?" Sophie responded harshly, but her face quickly softened, "Derek, look…if you really are serious about us then I suggest you grow a pair and tell everyone else. But if you don't…"

"Hey," he said, walking over to her, "You know I love you, but our parents will freak out, especially your dad. They'll both think I'm taking advantage of you or something. I mean, I don't exactly have the best track record…"

"No, you don't, but this is different, I feel it," Sophie interrupted.

He smiled, "Yeah, it is. If it will really make you happy then I'll tell 'em. I'll go down stairs right now, hold your hand, and tell all of them how much I love you."

He laced their fingers and lifted his other hand to caress her cheek.

"Really?" she asked, voice breaking with emotion.

He nodded at her and kissed her lips tenderly. She smiled as they broke apart, " I love you, too. My dad is gonna flip."

"They're all gonna flip," he smiled. "It's a good thing I'm in my sneakers," he continued as they exited the room.

"Why?"

"So I can run faster when your dad chases me."

XXX

Calleigh and Natalia were sitting outside under shaded chairs, sipping at their drinks and enjoying each other's company when everyone began filing out of the house.

"What's going on?" Natalia asked.

Lizzie quickly answered, "Derek wants to tell us something." She then proceeded to life her camera and say, "Smile!" Calleigh and Natalia smiled, but gave her questioning glances after the flash.

"Just the before shot," she said.

"Before what?" Calleigh asked.

Lizzie grinned, "You'll see."

Eric and Ryan were the last to exit the house, Josie, Kani and Andrew right before them. Everyone stood around the two seated women as Derek and Sophie came out. The two stood side by side, facing their large family, hearts racing.

Derek took a deep breath and spoke up, "Umm…so, I kinda have something pretty important to tell you."

Sophie nudged him in the ribs causing him to groan and continue, "Okay, really important."

He looked at Sophie, fear obvious in his eyes as he took her hand and laced their fingers. He turned back to their family and said with a shaky voice, "Sophie and I are in a relationship."

A bright flash and a soft click broke the silence as Lizzie took the 'after' picture of the whole family this time, making sure to get Ryan and her father's expressions. Everyone's eyes were wide; Ryan and Natalia's mouth agape, Natalia's hand covering hers. An uncomfortable silence pursued, only adding to Derek and Sophie's increasing anxiety. A soft laugh then broke the silence, slowly getting louder as more voices joined in. All the children, Eric, Calleigh and Natalia were laughing loudly, suddenly unable to contain themselves.

Derek furrowed his eyebrows, "Why are you all laughing? I'm serious."

"You sure about that?" Kani asked between laughs, "Last time you said that you ended it the next day."

Derek immediately responded, "Not this time. We've been together for about five months, the best five months of my life," he added while turning to look at Sophie.

Another click and flash ensued, Lizzie sporting an apologetic grin after the glare that Derek had sent her way, "Sorry bro, that was way too cute not to take a pic."

He smiled softly and returned his gaze to his parents, Calleigh with a look that Derek never quite understood, but Eric with a definite look of worry. He did not even dare glance at Sophie's parents, he already knew what looks they were sporting.

"Okay look, I know this is _really _not like me, I usually have like twelve girlfriends in that time blah blah blah…but this time it really is different. I love Sophie, and I would do anything for her, which is why it took so long for us to say anything, I wanted to be sure about this, about us, before you guys knew."

Derek eyes scanned their faces, finding looks of happiness, empathy and even a few smiles. However, he then made the mistake of looking at Ryan's face, which was almost beet red, a murderous look in his eyes. Derek's eyes widened, scared out of his wits because he had never seen him so mad. Ryan took a step forward, "Excuse me?"

Derek flinched, "I love Sophie, uncle Ry, I really do."

"I love him, too, daddy," Sophie said softly from behind Derek.

Ryan's eyes landed on his daughter, hiding feebly behind Derek, something she rarely ever did. She was always one to stand up for herself, never failing to speak her mind and express her opinion. But this time, she hid behind a young man, one that Ryan was sure he could bulldoze through, fear in her eyes. Fear of her father. Ryan sighed and looked at the floor. "I swore that I wouldn't have to deal with this until you were seventeen or something," he mumbled inaudibly.

"What?" Sophie said, stepping out from behind her, now public, boyfriend.

Ryan let out a breath and looked behind him to his wife who now stood next to him, hand on his shoulder. "I really don't like this, not one bit."

Derek sighed and hung his head, "Look, I knew you wouldn't be okay with us, but I can't just not be with Sophie. It hurts too much."

"You didn't let me finish, Derek. No, I'm not okay with it, but its obvious I cant stop it, so…I'm not going to even try."

Sophie looked at her father, eyes wide, a smile just as big on her face, "Really?"

Ryan nodded. "But," he said, raising a finger, "There's gonna be some rules."

Derek nodded, "I can live with rules." He squeezed Sophie's hand, causing her to look at him and smile.

"The first one is break her heart and I break you."

Derek gulped. "Sure thing," he replied, voice shaking. Sophie tried to suppress her giggles.

"Rule number two is that we have to know where you two are at all times."

They both nodded. Ryan let out another breath, "And the last one is to have fun, and to enjoy what you have, because it really is worth it."

Sophie smiled at her dad and let go of Derek's hand to run to him and embrace him tightly. "Thank you, daddy. Thank you, so much."

He hugged her back, "I love you, Soph."

"Love you, too."

She then let go of her dad and kissed him on the cheek. She turned to face Derek and walked into his arms and he picked her up, twirling her around. He stopped, gently placed her back on the floor and pressed his lips to hers.

"That's another rule! No kissing in front of us!"

Sophie giggled and broke the kiss, pressing their foreheads together. Another flash interrupted the moment, but this time, Lizzie was not as successful. Derek tore himself from Sophie's embrace to chase her inside.

"Lizzie! Get back here!"

Calleigh and Eric laughed at their children, watching as Josie simply stayed back and watched with Kani and Andrew. Calleigh shook her head and looked up at her husband, standing behind her, hands on her shoulders.

"Well this was an interesting day."

"You can say that again," Eric said, eyes still on the house, "Do you think they'll break anything?"

Calleigh chuckled, "Nah, they wouldn't do that."

Eric raised an eyebrow and Calleigh smiled, "They love each other too much to cause any more drama."

Eric raised his other eyebrow and looked back up at the house, "I guess a little bit of love does go a long way."

XXX

_**Haha I love that last line :P would you believe that I had that last line planned for like months?? Lol so that was what I came up with…sorry if it was kinda random I just thought of it one day in class :P**_

_**It's also very funny that I think of most of these chps in class…hmm…oh well lol**_

_**Hope you guys liked it!! That was the end to Little Bit of Love, not spectacular, but I find it's cute. Sighh, so now I can say that this fic is now complete, but I'm really gonna miss it. Especially the twins, they were my special characters :(**_

_**Anyway, please review. A review for the last chp plz :)**_

_**Love you guyzzz!! **_

_**®0$!3**_


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